Transformative Practices in Archaeology: In Lieu of Introduction

Over the years, many have asked the question, what good is archaeology? Or, more specifically, what good can archaeology do? The contemporary world is faced with unprecedented global challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, increasing economic disparities within and between countries, unequal access to technology-driven transformations, and an unprecedented loss of cultural and biological diversity. While a good number of project-oriented works have sought to answer specifically tailored archaeological and/or community-led research questions, archaeologists have rarely placed Indigenous1 or community aspirations at the core of their agenda.