historical materials; historical records; archives
Refers to documents, records, and other materials used as sources for historical research.
This research is based on many historical sources.
I found valuable historical materials in the library.
Historical records relating to the Sengoku period were discovered.
The researchers unearthed new historical materials.
They uncovered the truth of the incident based on historical records.
They collected historical materials from libraries around the country.
古文書 refers narrowly to old handwritten documents, while 史料 is the broader term covering any material (documents, artifacts, records) used as a historical source.
史料 and 資料 are pronounced identically but 史料 means specifically historical sources, while 資料 is the general word for reference materials or data of any kind.
Compound of 史 (history) and 料 (materials). The reading is on'yomi.