The world faces an uncertain future with the rise of climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, overfishing, and other threats. Understanding Imperiled Earth meets this uncertainty head-on, presenting archaeology and history as critical guides to addressing the modern environmental crisis. Anthropologist Todd J. Braje draws connections between deep history and today's hot-button environmental news stories to reveal how the study of the ancient past can help build a more sustainable future. The book covers a diverse array of interconnected issues, including how modern humans have altered the natural world, conservation work of Indigenous communities, extinction of megafauna like dire wolves and woolly rhinoceros, the risk of deforestation highlighted by Notre Dame's destruction, and more.