American archaeology has many social problems. The main one is that practitioners are unclear about the goals and purpose of the profession because it has become a tool of historic preservation. Interrelated with this problem are two others. First, historical archaeology is adrift and without direction, and second, the two sub-fields of prehistoric and historical archaeology are engaged in a class conflict that is demeaning or corrupting to everyone involved. Change is necessary and a vision of a unified archaeology with purpose and clarity of intent is outlined.
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