John Schofield's new book Wicked problems for archaeologists: heritage as transformative practice was prompted by Oxford professor Shadreck Chirikure's intriguing question: “Why is it that archaeology—a discipline that deals with human experience over the long term—is failing to achieve its potential in tackling global challenges?” (p.259). Schofield's discussion and answer to this question reflects a view that is rather innovative, and it constitutes a watershed for archaeology and cultural heritage.
Over the years, there have been quite a few book-length accounts of archaeology's aims in society and how to achieve them, but Schofield takes the lead now. He boldly offers a new mission and direction for the discipline of archaeology and the heritage sector with which it is closely associated. The take on archaeology advocated by Schofield—whose battle cry is “Archaeologists assemble!” (p.298)—is not Marxist but it nevertheless is critical, in the sense that the discipline is meant to address some of the world's most wicked problems such as climate change, environmental pollution, health and wellbeing, social justice and conflict. The author advocates that archaeologists and heritage practitioners can help make the world a fairer, safer and healthier place for everybody (p.299).
Wicked problems are complex and possibly irresolvable. They evade clear definitions and measurable goals, and they involve many actors. Decisive for why Schofield adapted this concept to archaeology was that, for wicked problems, “it is a matter of creativity to devise potential solutions” (p.19). So he asked himself: why should we not be more creative and try to employ archaeology as well to find potential solutions? Schofield argues, quoting Hannah Fluck (Reference Fluck2022), that archaeologists have “superpowers” that allow them to address such wicked problems. They include time travel and storytelling about long-term change—for example, about climatic and environmental change in the past and how people adapted to it. Archaeologists also have the superpower to appeal to many types of audiences including local communities and journalists. In summary, as Schofield puts it, “archaeologists have the superpower, the ability to help unfuck things” (p.41)!
Schofield writes well and accessibly, and the entire book is well illustrated. Having said that, his style is a little more wordy and includes too many long citations from other texts than would have been needed. At the end of every chapter, useful headlines summarise the main points of the arguments made. By the same token, the volume ends with questions for book-group discussions, essays and examinations. I hope they will be used in all these contexts.
The volume presents a critical overview of where archaeology is positioned right now in relation to these wicked problems and how archaeologists could enhance their own contribution to solving them in the future. The book is structured in detailed thematic sections on different wicked problems and how archaeologists have been, and could be, contributing to understanding them and thus help transform the world. Schofield's agenda is intellectual and theoretical but it is also practical and engages with questions of policy, leadership, social-planetary boundaries and the United Nation's sustainable development goals (SDGs). In his perspective, key terms that should guide archaeologists include inter- and trans-disciplinary partnerships, the creative imagination, small wins and policy entrepreneurship.
Schofield argues that addressing wicked problems requires inter- and trans-disciplinary partnerships to join forces and needs cross-boundary collaboration and leadership. In the desirable entanglement between disciplines and areas of expertise, using the imagination is arguably even more important for archaeology than gaining knowledge. Either way, archaeologists cannot provide comprehensive solutions to irresolvable wicked problems. Instead, they need to take a ‘small wins’ approach which is about small and incremental gains, focusing on tackling selected parts of these problems or specific aspects of them. This requires asking new questions, building new relationships and facilitating open debate. To make a difference in society and persuade funders, policymakers and politicians to support them, archaeologists also need to be influencers and policy entrepreneurs. Policy entrepreneurs must not only be savvy, well connected and persistent but also have some claim to a hearing, due to their particular expertise, their decision-making responsibility or their ability to speak for others.
Schofield's agenda is close to my own approach to the discipline, drawing on concepts such as ‘applied archaeology’ and ‘heritage futures’. Schofield asks his student readers (p.302) what perhaps all archaeologists should ask themselves more often: how can archaeologists do more to persuade doubters that archaeology is central to helping understand and resolve many of the world's greatest challenges? Is archaeology not only about the past, but about the present and the future?
