Entanglement

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses a recurring issue and a characteristic of wicked problems: the fact they are all entangled with one another; any attempt to fix one problem can create problems elsewhere, mirroring archaeology whereby material entanglement characterizes the archaeological record. Entanglement is a central theme across many disciplines, not least quantum theory. This theoretical chapter discusses how archaeologists have engaged with entanglement and how this sits alongside other frameworks such as actor network theory. The concept of messiness, used as an alternative to wicked problems to describe entangled and intractable social and environmental issues, is discussed. Other alternative frameworks discussed include ecosystems and assemblage theory, systems thinking and complexity theory which offer different ways to conceptualize and address wicked problems thus providing an essential terminology and conceptual framework for archaeologists and heritage practitioners.