Well, consider that one way or another, we've written ourselves into the geological record, as much as we've written our own history about ourselves. History, often airbrushed, is a sociological exercise, and so, it's always been a soft science.

Geological and cosmological history is filled with hypothesized events and broad revisions in the face of emergent (if subtle) proof against common views and norms. Lots of hypothetical place holders aren't apolitical at all. The big bang is pretty political, despite the background radiation that serves as "reasonable evidence" that something like the big bang might have occurred. The truth being that we don't honestly know why a universe would be created through a big-bang-like process, even though it's the best interpretation of the evidence we have access to, lately.

Large error margins are artifacts of incomplete information, and that doesn't mean incomplete information is truly preferable. We have pretty good information about 20th century events, even if the particulars of the social landscape are hotly debated.