Page 27 - Lungshan Pottery Lunshanoid Research 1977 Paper

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teristics of each different classification. Only when

classificatory problems are fully resolved, will archaeo-

logy be able to reach the realm of science.

Nevertheless, the reason for this difficulty in

classification (or arrangement) is also that archaeologists

are easily led into subjectivity when making decisions

on classification. Most archaeologists are aware of the

problem. A.C. Spaulding s "Statistical Techniques for
1
the Discovery of Artifact Types" clearly illustrates

this point. In this article, he states that i f artifact

types really do exist, then they can be discovered by

statistical methods ( 1 9 5 3 * 3 0 5 ) .

In order to gain some knowledge of the use of classi-

fication in Chinese archaeology, I have selected a number

of examples dealing with both artifacts and larger cultural

units. L i Chi^s Hsiao-t*un. vol. I l l , Fascicle I, part I,

was the first work done. In this work, the author tried

to use !a consistent format for organizing the material from

one site.

The primary scheme used by L i Chi ( 1 9 5 6 * 3 6 - 3 7 ) in

his classification of pottery vessels from Hsiao-Vun is

as followsi