This paper discusses the future role of periodization in the wake of recent critiques of culture-historical chronologies concurrent with the rise of high-definition radiocarbon dating. It is argued that periodization has two distinct facets, a narrative function and a dating function, which should be separated. Archaeology may eventually be able to abandon the latter, but not the former. However, the two aspects are closely intertwined and the goal of this paper is to disentangle them and, through a case study of archaeological periodization in Iceland, demonstrate the need to re-engage with culture-historical taxonomies by reverse engineering their construction. Only in this way will the utility or poverty of such culture-historical periods be exposed to proper scrutiny and the ground cleared for building new, narrative periodizations.

本文讨论了分期在最近对文化历史年表的批评以及高清放射性碳测年的兴起之后的未来作用。有人认为，分期有两个不同的方面，一个是叙述功能，一个是约会功能，应该分开。考古学最终可能会放弃后者，但不能放弃前者。然而，这两个方面是紧密交织在一起的，本文的目标是解开它们，并通过对冰岛考古分期的案例研究，证明需要通过逆向工程它们的构建来重新参与文化-历史分类法。只有这样，这种文化历史时期的效用或贫乏才会受到适当的审视，并为构建新的叙事分期扫清障碍。