Patterns
History isn't about predicting the future, of course, but there are broad patterns to human behavior that can be instructive. And while a direct comparison of the past to the present can be misleading (and is something of a "beginner's mistake," in any case), history is basically a long-term experiment in sociology, economics, psychology, religion and science. There's a wealth of wisdom to be found. Remember, even though the present is the tip of the spear, so to speak, it's still very much connected to the whole.