Özet:

According to Foucault, archaeology is taking in-depth, theoretical and homogeneous knowledge as subject. Archaeology is a method which analyzes the circumstances and rules that make a discourse, knowledge obtained through archaeological analysis possible. Archaeology denies everything indicating subject and discusses discourse and discursive formations that are the supra-subjective structures. In this sense, archaeological analysis discussing the in-depth knowledge argues against the continuity, and lays emphasis on the discontinuity and periodization. According to Foucault, progress of the knowledge systems is discontinuous and discontinuity is the concept showing the fact that the things should not be perceived, described and known in the same way anymore in transition from one historical period to the other historical period. According to him, in history, the concepts of discontinuity, break, threshold, limit, transformation which are the basic concepts of the archaeological analysis should take the place of the concepts claiming the existence of continuity in history. Thus Foucault presents an alternative thesis to the concept of discourse and concept of discontinuity of the archaeological analysis, and linear progressive and evolutionist concept of history that is dominating the history of western thought.