A radical shift in orientation alongside the objects of archaeology has occasioned a reconsideration of what theory is in a very general sense. What function does it serve and how might we define it? In retrospect, these questions arise not in the context of paradigms and strong theories, which some consider to have run their course, but in their absence. Here, there is a danger that theory might be jettisoned altogether if its nature and purpose are not critically re-assessed. The modest goal of this paper is to join in on this conversation.

中文翻译：

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范式迷失：当代考古学对理论的承诺是什么？

与考古学对象并列的方向发生根本性转变，引发了对一般意义上的理论的重新思考。它提供什么功能，我们如何定义它？回想起来，这些问题不是在范式和强有力的理论的背景下出现的，有些人认为它们已经完成了自己的课程，而是在它们缺席的情况下出现。在这里，如果不对理论的性质和目的进行批判性的重新评估，那么理论就有可能被完全抛弃。本文的适度目标是加入这场对话。