Oral history is one of the oldest methods of preserving knowledge about the past. Long before the invention of writing, communities relied on spoken narratives to transmit memories, traditions, and experiences from one generation to another. Although oral history emerged as a formal academic discipline only in the twentieth century, the practice of recording people's recollections has existed for centuries. Historians, rulers, religious authorities, and chroniclers have long collected eyewitness testimonies to understand important events and preserve valuable information. Ancient historians recognized the importance of firsthand accounts.