* Written records were destroyed. Wars, natural disasters, and other events have destroyed many written records of the past. This is especially true of records from ancient civilizations, which were often made on fragile materials such as papyrus or parchment.
* Written records were biased. Written records were often produced by the ruling class or other powerful groups, who may have had an interest in presenting a biased or incomplete view of the past. This means that we may not get a full or accurate picture of what actually happened.
* Written records were limited in scope. Written records often focused on important events or people, such as wars, political leaders, or religious figures. This means that we may not have much information about the everyday lives of ordinary people.
* Written records cannot capture all aspects of the past. Some aspects of the past, such as emotions, smells, and sounds, cannot be captured in writing. This means that we can only get a partial understanding of the past from written records.