Systematization of phenomena in prehistoric archaeology – classification, typology. Implementation, practical aplication and significance

Abstract

This article continues the discussion from the article published in the fourth issue of the Journal of Archaeology. It covers the issue of classification / typology in Georgian and international scientific literature, and also presents the author’s own insights on their implementation and practical application. This is particularly relevant, due to the fact that during the implementation of any research in prehistoric archaeology that aims to study archaeological finds or sites, the issue of their systematization is on the agenda. In prehistoric archaeology, the process of transforming unstructured material into structured knowledge is achieved through classification and typology. This approach is essential for archaeology to form a comprehensive understanding of the materials it studies. Each characteristic of an archaeological find may have its unique origin. Exploring aspects such as local variations in an archaeological culture or changes over time and space is feasible only with this kind of systematic approach to the sources. In prehistoric archaeology, particularly in Bronze Age archaeology, the classification/ typology of archaeological finds often involves a more subjective approach. At the current stage of research, it seems impossible to develop unified rules for systematizing prehistoric archaeological phenomena, although it’s still possible to develop certain common standards. For instance, using a proportion index (the ratio of height to diameter of the mouth) for categorizing pottery types can be one such standard. Similarly, when examining other artefacts, observing the relationship between the proportions of individual components and determining which component is “large” or “small” based on this. When
describing the shapes of pottery or other artefacts, preference should be given to comparisons with geometrical figures and other similar simple principles that will facilitate the execution of research and give it a systematic character.