Ancient texts
A quotation should be traceable to a named composition, tablet, manuscript or recognized edition. Dictionary meanings are not substituted for grammar, and one isolated sign is not presented as a complete translation.
Archaeology
Claims are checked against context: excavation layer, dating method, associated objects, site history and later disturbance. Photographs detached from provenance are treated cautiously.
Maps and images
Historical maps are read according to their date, projection, maker and geographic conventions. Visual resemblance alone is not accepted as proof of identity.
Internet claims
Viral claims are tested by asking for primary evidence, chronology, a physical mechanism and a prediction that could be independently checked.