Classification is one of my main interests in archaeological research. I understand it as not only a means for describing finds or contexts in a standardized way. Rather, the process of classification is a heuristic means that leads to an understanding of finds and context.
I have worked on that concept in my doctoral dissertation on the classification of Narikawa pottery and in my Habilitation on quantitative analyses of prehistoric Japanese tombs and their decorations (sōshoku kofun).
(The preview image is taken from Wikipedia)