How archaeology informs the present and why it matters for the future

Summary

Don Henson (2012) wrote "What archaeology has to offer is a powerful contribution to the quality of life of people." He states that quality of life has three critical threads: social inclusion (people), environmental protection (place), sustainable development (future). Despite its popularity, we believe archaeology may be one of the most misunderstood disciplines. It is not about dinosaurs and skeletons or glorifying past achievements. It is an essential scientific discipline because it can teach us how humans adapted to challenges similar to those we encounter in today’s world. Climate change, subsistence, overpopulation, natural disasters, political upheaval and collapse are all part of the human experience and have occurred many times over for thousands of years. Archaeology is one of the few disciplines that can study these issues extended periods of time. In higher education we see an increase in interdisciplinary studies that include anthropology, sustainability, global studies, gender studies, etc. We must ensure that archaeology does not "get lost" and help students see the importance of connecting the past to the present. To do this we must make clear the relevance of archaeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

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