Series Editor's Introduction from Ian Russell

This series features highlights from the many presentations in the Archaeologies of Art theme of the Sixth World Archaeological Congress. Douglass Bailey from San Francisco State University reflects on the current relationships between contemporary art and contemporary archaeology and suggests some radical new directions that this disciplinary collaboration can take. Blaze O'Connor discusses the unique synergy that was the archaeological excavation and reconstruction of the studio of modern painter Francis Bacon, meditating on archaeology's relationship to detritus, dust and debitage. In a special presentation from the Sixth World Archaeological Congress artist-in-residence, Kevin O'Dwyer speaks about his own artistic practice in relationship to archaeology and his curation and direction of 'Sculpture in the Parklands', a unique project engaging art, archaeology, ecology and the industrial heritages of Lough Boora, Co. Offaly. Finally, a manifesto challenging the theoretical foundations of archaeological thought and practice through an engagement with artistic and anthropological theory, is put forward by Andrew Cochrane and Ian Russell.