ABSTRACT
The unstable political situation in Syria, Yemen, and beyond has proven devastating for archaeology, although we can only hope that archaeological work and support can be resumed at some future point. With our sophisticated and fine-grained methods for studying ancient adaptations and subsistence, to say nothing of settlement patterns, we have a great deal to offer ecologists and others concerned with long-term problems of sustainability, especially in the developing world. This chapter examines evolutionary archaeology, genetics, and cultural resource management making major contributions to archaeological theory. Some of the greatest advances in archaeology will come from its increasing transformation from an academic discipline into a profession, to the point where conservation and management of the past will become the dominant activity of the archaeological community. Theoretical advances are likely to come from many directions, among them more refined processualism, cognitive-processual archaeology, and an increasing concern with individuals and groups and their roles in decision making in the past.
