Historians primarily use option 1: They collect evidence and interpret what it means. This process involves analyzing various types of evidence, such as documents, artifacts, and other historical records, to draw conclusions about past events and their significance.
Option 2 is incorrect because historians critically evaluate the reliability and validity of historical evidence rather than assuming it is all reliable.
Option 3 is also incorrect; while historians may consider previous findings, they do not rely solely on them and often seek to provide new interpretations or insights.
Option 4, which mentions digging for artifacts, refers more to archaeologists than historians, although historians may incorporate archaeological findings into their research.