Histarchers:
 
        Is one objective of historical archaeology to determine the
     function of a structure located by that archaeology?
        Architectural theorists have generally discarded the idea of
     structural function as a meaningful enquiry, because a) it frequently
     is unknown, and b) the function frequently changed through time (how
     you could know the second if the first is true is not explained, nor
     is it stated why such changes are not part of the enquiry of
     architectural historians).  But the rejection of functionalism by
     architectural historians puts me in a bad spot when I try to talk
     about why I'm examining a building in such close detail.  Anybody want
     to help me out?
 
     Jake.