Culture-historical archaeology is an archaeological approach that interprets past societies primarily through the identification, classification, and chronological ordering of material culture (such as pottery, tools, and structures). This approach, which was dominant in the early to mid-20th century, assumes that artifacts and cultural traits can be grouped into distinct “cultures” that represent different ethnic or social groups in the past.
Key features of culture-historical archaeology include:
- Typology and Classification: Artifacts are categorized into types and styles, which help define archaeological cultures.
- Diffusion and Migration: Cultural changes are often explained by the spread of ideas or the movement of people from one region to another.
- Chronological Sequences: By establishing relative and absolute dating frameworks, archaeologists create timelines for different cultures.
- Focus on Descriptive Analysis: Rather than emphasizing broad social or economic explanations, this approach prioritizes describing and ordering material remains.
Although culture-historical archaeology laid the foundation for modern archaeological methods, it has been largely replaced by more explanatory approaches, such as processual and post-processual archaeology, which focus on understanding human behavior and social dynamics rather than simply categorizing artifacts.