Application of chemical analysis in the classification of archaeological silicate samples

Archaeology is primarily a fact-finding discipline. However, it is to be distinguished from science in that its ultimale goal is the revification of the human past. Judged from this point of view, the significance of science applied in archaeology, can only be that it facilitates a conclusion on human achievement. This sets a severe limit to the importance of chemical analysis. At its best, it can tell us that, with a certain probability, the findings can be divided in a few groups of similar composition. It is by no means certain that this knowledge can be translated into some archaeologically useful conclusion.