But perhaps this is always the case. In seeking to avoid funding cuts, for example, museums or cultural services are often considered easy targets, since archaeologists and heritage professionals are far less useful than doctors, engineers, or mathematicians. Beyond archaeology itself, cultural heritage has few friends, one might argue.
But I present the argument that far from being the irrelevant or outdated subject some politicians, career advisers, and university leaders might consider it to be, archaeology is essential to the future of humanity and planetary health. This is for three main reasons. First, archaeologists have the capacity to think about and to understand humanity of the past, and to project that insight into the future.
Second, archaeologists are uniquely placed to comprehend the many and complex ways in which humans, over time, have related to their environment and environmental and other processes, such as the changing climate, migration, or pandemics.
And third, archaeology provides opportunities for everyone to benefit, whether in terms of physical by undertaking surveys or excavations or mental health through social interaction or artifact handling, to address loneliness or anxiety, for example. In my new book, Wicked Problems for Archaeologists , I examine a few creative ways that we can use archaeology to help directly address some of the global challenges that threaten both human and planetary health. We also need to engage more with policymakers to help them address their challenges and opportunities.
Wicked Problems. Super-wicked problems are in addition to the original 10 characteristics of wicked problems, defined by Horst W. Rittel and Melvin M. Webber :. Social injustice, crime, and conflict are widely used as examples of wicked problems.
