ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates that learning the practice of archaeology calls on classificatory knowledge to bridge the gap between the mental and physical by way of lessons that bind together content with the physical manipulation of objects and artifacts. It discusses the data collected via participant observation of an upper-level archaeology course on the classification of ceramics. To understand the teaching and practice of classification in the classroom, one must look at the larger academic context in which it takes place. The professor that taught the course participated in is an archaeologist who does research at prehistoric Native American sites. Topic-wise, the course began with discussions of the "general theoretical perspectives" of ceramic analysis, ultimately narrowing to the application of quantitative typology. In one sense, the course was framed as an introduction to the tools needed for participation in the practice of classification.
