An antiquarian or antiquary (from the , meaning related to ancient times) is a student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts. This includes archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts. The essence of antiquarianism is a focus on the empirical evidence of the past. It may be better explained by the motto adopted by the 18th-century antiquary, Sir Richard Colt Hoare, "We speak from facts not theory". 