Past , Present , and Future of Quantitative Methods in United States Archaeology

I briefly review the history of quantitative methods in American (mainly US) archaeology and assess their present status. I then identify topics that seem most likely to be most active in the near future and express my opinions about the directions that I think will be most productive over a somewhat longer term. What topics, what methods, and what general approaches should be given special attention and encouragement? What roles should quantitative methods play in the archaeology (or archaeologies) of the twenty-first century?