作为科学的考古学

Archaeology as a Science

科学与考古学的关系是考古学发展史上的重大主题,它可以从三个阶段来进行分析:在考古学的早期形成阶段,科学是考古学的形成基础;在过程考古学阶段,科学在一般方法论与专门知识上提供了众多的支持,过程考古学也以要成为科学为目的;到了以人文主义为中心的后过程考古学阶段,科学成了要超越的对象。三个阶段中,科学所蕴藏的内涵在不断改变,影响到考古学的目标以及实现它的理论、方法与实践。"作为科学的考古学"的讨论对于中国考古学的发展有着特殊的意义,因为中国相对缺乏科学的传统。当前阶段,中国考古学还需要加强科学基础,进一步发展作为科学的考古学,同时吸收后过程考古学在本体论、认识论与伦理学上的部分优点。

'Archaeology as a science'is a long-standing proposition that can be traced back to the earliest stage in the formation of archaeology. A three-stage perspective is presented to explore the shifting relationship between archaeology and science. The early archaeology including part of antiquity research was built on the foundation of science. Processual archaeology received strong supports from science in knowledge formation and methodology and aimed at becoming a science. Science, however, became an object to be criticized and surpassed by the post-processualism that focuses on humanism. Through these three stages,the contents to which science is referred are changing, which influenced the aims of archaeological research as well as its theories, methods and practices.'Archaeology as a science'in the context of Chinese archaeology is particularly significant in that Chinese archaeology predominately needs a scientific paradigm due to the lack of a scientific tradition. It is suggested that Chinese archaeology should strengthen its scientific character and further adopt the merits of post-processualism in ontology, epistemology and ethnics while avoiding its relativist influence.