Abstract

This article tries to outline the evolution of the archaeological methods used in Palestine from the days of Sir Flinders Petrie. A scientific method must be based on two fundamental principles, namely stratigraphy and typology of ceramics. Petrie’s main contribution was that he was the first archaeologist who used pottery, even shreds, for dating of structures on tell el-Hesy already in 1890. He arranged the pottery in typological series and made a system for sequence dating. After the Second World War, typology and stratigraphy were coordinated and all excavations could benefit from the results.