Page 24 - Lungshan Pottery Lunshanoid Research 1977 Paper
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Chapter 3
The Difficulty of Classification
The position of classification in the study of
archaeology has its undeniable importance, since
archaeologists cannot avoid the step of classification
whenever they deal with archaeological studies at any
level. As a matter of fact, archaeology has been treated
more as a discipline of science during the past decade.
No archaeologist is pleased to be described as an "old
archaeologists" who treats archaeology as art. In addition,
R.C. Dunnell argues that "Classification is the systematic
foundation of science" (1971» 8 7 ) . Thus, the importance
of classification i n archaeology is very obvious.
However, no classificatory system is without some
a
inherent shortcomings. First of l l , the meaning of the
term "classification" has not always been clearly defined
when used by archaeologists. According to R.C. Dunnell
( 1 9 7 1 : 4 4 ) , classification is only a kind of arrangement
which archaeologists usually treat as "classification",
