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.

中文翻译：

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分期的未来。剖析文化历史遗产

本文讨论了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分期的未来作用。有人认为，分期有两个不同的方面，即叙事功能和约会功能，应该分开。考古学也许最终能够放弃后者，但不能放弃前者。然而，这两个方面是紧密交织在一起的，本文的目标是理清它们，并通过冰岛考古分期的案例研究，证明有必要通过逆向工程构建文化历史分类学来重新参与文化历史分类学。只有这样，这些文化历史时期的效用或贫困才能受到适当的审查，并为建立新的叙事分期奠定基础。