FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGY

Future Archaeology is an innovative approach to futures thinking. It lives in the space between humanity, imagination, art & design. Curiosity, creativity and courage play an important role in this.

Its goal is to enhance companies’ strategic planning and decision-making processes. Rather than relying solely on predicting the future from the present as traditional foresight methods do, Future Archaeology adopts an innovative inverted lens - looking back to the present from envisioned futures. This imaginative, creative approach makes use of speculations on what could lie ahead to shed new light on current realities and decisions we need to take today. It complements traditional methods, where both approaches converge to create a more holistic view of the future. Moreover, this future-backward perspective can be applied both in service industries and in the field of product/industrial design to uncover new solutions and opportunities.

WHAT IS FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGY?

In the hidden corners of our mind, there exists a portal that grants us access to a world beyond what is immediately conceivable. A place where the boundaries of reality blur and our imagination takes flight. This portal is called the ‘sense of possibility’. A sense that allows us to look at the future and the challenges at hand through a different lens. Through it everything that currently is the way it is might just as easily be thought of differently. Using our sense of possibility means tapping into our imagination rather than relying solely on our expert knowledge. It allows us to create something that has not yet existed in this form, unbound by the constraints of the present.

Future Archaeology views the future as an uncharted territory, ripe for exploration and discovery much like an archaeological dig site. It allows venturing forth with an imaginative lens, unconstrained by existing problems and the limitations of the present day. To find new things, new ideas and to go beyond the limitations of the present, Future Archaeologists must push beyond boundaries of convention and actualities, daring to uncover the hidden depths rather than surveying mere surfaces.

Driven by “What if…” questions a Future Archaeologist speculates and invents, while maintaining a sense of awe and wonder. Searching for artifacts from potential realities that have yet to be realized – futuristic objects, ideas and experiences from distant futures existing only their imagination. One day you can dig here, and the next day over there, which is the equivalent of exploring different futures. Never knowing what you will uncover next.

“What if we excavated the hidden depths and unturned soils, rather than just surveying the surface?”

Future Archaeology treats the future not as something inevitable, but as a canvas to draw upon. It challenges preconceived notions of what can be, by making liberated speculation a prerequisite for progress. It promotes a mindset of infinitude, where the only limits are those, we impose on ourselves.

“What if we expanded the horizons of our imaginations?” 

This approach encourages thinking about the future in a creative, poetic, artistic and analytical way at the same time.

Future Archaeology is a conceptual approach to future studies, emphasizing the value of exploring multiple potential futures without being bound by the likelihood of any specific scenario based on current trends. It encourages open-mindedness and adaptability in contemplating the future.

WHY FUTURE ARCHAEOLOGY?

Future Archaeology can enhance traditional approaches to future studies and foresight. It operates independently of current trends, disengaging from existing paradigms. By envisioning new possibilities for the future, it helps navigate uncertainty effectively and thus reveal new concepts and ideas for problem solving.

Finding new ideas this way contrasts the traditional approach of looking forward. The types of opportunities recognized this way are of a different nature.

“The future exists as a multitude of possibilities before it becomes reality.”

It leverages future artifacts to provide glimpses of what might be. These artifacts go beyond mere concepts; they act as catalysts and witnesses of distant futures. They help us to experience how it would feel to live in such a future. Each artifact has the potential to shift perspectives, challenge assumptions, and highlight new routes into the future. The future artifacts, when shared with a broader audience, offer valuable feedback on the envisioned future, beyond traditional formats of communication, like spreadsheets, graphics, or research papers.

In subsequent stages, a future artifact can be dissociated from its original future context and continues existing as a scenario independent future relic. The initial imagined future merely serves as a creative starting point for its development. This detached artifact can then be integrated into different futures or scenarios to rigorously test its resilience. The more scenarios it encounters, the richer the insights gained.

„One might say that human societies have two boundaries. One boundary is drawn by the requirements of the natural world and the other by the collective imagination.“ – Susan Griffin, To Love the Marigold

The advantage of this approach lies in not anchoring oneself to a predetermined scenario or a solution based on existing problems within that scenario. An independent future artifact stands alone and can be tested across various scenarios without bias. Probability or likelihood of occurrence need not be a concern; if the artifact performs well across multiple scenarios, the idea or concept is likely to succeed in diverse futures. Unlike a crystal ball, exploring the future as a future archaeologist does not mean to predict the future. It does not aim to declare that this or that will happen or must happen. Instead, it invites us to have a conversation about what might, could, or should happen.