Paper short abstract:

The ongoing history of our built environment is one in which material and social processes have been inextricably interwoven over the millennia, thus making an approach merging archaeology and anthropology a necessity for creating a comprehensive understanding of both past and future urban culture.

Paper long abstract:

Nowhere are the possible rewards of an inclusive approach to archaeology and anthropology more evident than in the study of our built environment. The remarkable experiment that mankind has undertaken in creating an artificial environment adaptive to our needs cannot be understood solely as either a material or social phenomenon, but rather as a single process in which these elements have been inextricably interwoven over millennia. As such, neither archaeology, rooted in the study of past material remains, nor anthropology, rooted in the study of living social systems, can provide us with a comprehensive understanding of this complex relationship; a middle way must be found. Furthermore, the fact that this process is a continuing one, and that modern urbanization is reshaping both our physical and social landscapes on a scale that has redefined cultural identities and imperiled our relationship with the natural environment, makes the understanding of its historical scope more than an academic challenge - it presents us with an opportunity and indeed a responsibility to reach beyond our respective disciplines and educate the wider public. The merging of archaeology and anthropology in the study of the built environment is thus not only a theoretical necessity, but also a practical path forward. In Helsinki, a small step has been taken to address these concerns with the creation of the Human Spaces curriculum, in which urban culture is studied through a combination of traditional archaeological case studies, broad anthropological interpretations, and alternative approaches such as environmental art theory.