Archaeological Culture and Structure of Archaeological Science

The article gives a definition of archaeological culture, which assumed to become consensual. There are three main approaches to the identification of archaeological cultures: typological, territorial-chronological and sociological. Each one individually has irremediable disadvantages. The article substantiates the need for a separate consideration of the archaeological cultures of the primitive era and the cultures of early class societies. A scheme is proposed in which these approaches become consistent procedures within the analytical methodology of archaeology. A description is given to the phratrial model of cultural genesis explaining the change of archaeological cultures. The article proposes a criterion for the sufficiency of sources for the identification of archaeological culture - the manifestation of a system of self-identification through typological analysis. The scheme also allows you to determine the ratio of the terms technocomplex, group of monuments, archaeological culture, etc. On the basis of the above theoretical constructions, the structure of archaeological science consisting of field, desk, theoretical sciences and the history of primitive society is build. The separation of methodological and theoretical branches of science is substantiated.