Mahates

Article summary

Mahates is a river town and municipality located in the Bolívar Department, northern Colombia. The town of Mahates was founded on April 17, 1533 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Heredia. The municipality of Mahates also covers the village of Palenque de San Basilio, inhabited mainly by Afro-Colombians which are direct descendants of African slaves brought by the Spanish during the Colonization of the Americas and have preserved their ancestral traditions. In 2005 the Palenque de San Basilio village was proclaimed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Key claims

1. date of foundation: 1533-04-17 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of foundation: 1533 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. population: 18,831 people — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
4. population: 18,412 people — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of foundation is "1533-04-17". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of foundation is "1533". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the population is "18,831 people". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. The record states that the population is "18,412 people". What evidence would count against this claim?
6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1374535918