During the mid-20th century, archaeology has gradually developed into a humanity oriented discipline. Settlement archaeology first adopted by American archaeologist G.R. Willey symbolized a signifi-cant change of archeological paradigm. The Virú Project deduced the process of prehistoric social complexi-ty in the Virú valley by means of analyzing the transformation of structures and features in different periods, dating prehistoric sites and classifying them into different functions, exploring the change of settlement pat-tern. This pioneering advance has been praised as the most important breakthrough in the history of archaeol-ogy, and the most important innovation since Thomsen had succeeded in the three-age system. Integrative analysis of settlement pattern provides archaeologists with an overall perspective and a feasible approach to study human behind materials, interaction between human and their environments and social change. It should be noted when referring theories and methods from western archaeology, we have to thoroughly under-stand original concepts, scientific definitions and their formation contexts.%20世纪中叶,考古学逐渐发展成一门以人为本的人文学科.美国考古学家戈登·威利在维鲁河谷首先采用的聚落形态研究,标志了考古学范式的重大变革.维鲁河谷项目通过对不同时期建筑和遗迹变迁的分析、史前遗址的断代和功能类型的划分、聚落形态变迁的研究等,推导出维鲁河谷史前时期社会复杂化的历时过程.这一开创性研究,被誉为考古学史上最重要的方法论突破,自汤姆森三期论创立以来最重要的发明.聚落形态成为考古学文化功能分析的战略性起点,聚落形态的整合分析为考古学家提供了全方位的视野,为考古学透物见人、由器物转向人地关系与社会变迁提供了一条可行的研究途径.但需要注意的是,我们在借鉴西方的理论方法时,应该吃透其原始概念、科学定义和产生背景.
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