The article discusses the importance of urban archaeology in understanding the past 5,500 years of urban life and its relevance to contemporary urban challenges in the Anthropocene. It highlights how new theoretical frameworks and methodological advances, such as remote sensing and interdisciplinary research, are enabling archaeologists to explore urban variability, interactions with the Earth system, and long-term co-evolutionary dynamics. The article emphasizes the need for a broader, more comparative perspective on urbanism, moving away from Eurocentric and typological approaches to focus on the underlying processes and networks. It also underscores the significance of documenting diverse urban forms and socio-ecological contexts, from ancient Mesopotamia to tropical forests and dry steppes. The article further explores how urban environments have shaped biological, genetic, and behavioral adaptations in humans and other species, as well as their socio-ecological resilience. It argues that urban archaeology can provide valuable insights into sustainable urban planning, climate change resilience, and the co-evolution of urbanism with the Earth system. Finally, it calls for a co-evolutionary framework to study the interactions between urbanism, land use, and the Earth system, and to inform global initiatives and policies.The article discusses the importance of urban archaeology in understanding the past 5,500 years of urban life and its relevance to contemporary urban challenges in the Anthropocene. It highlights how new theoretical frameworks and methodological advances, such as remote sensing and interdisciplinary research, are enabling archaeologists to explore urban variability, interactions with the Earth system, and long-term co-evolutionary dynamics. The article emphasizes the need for a broader, more comparative perspective on urbanism, moving away from Eurocentric and typological approaches to focus on the underlying processes and networks. It also underscores the significance of documenting diverse urban forms and socio-ecological contexts, from ancient Mesopotamia to tropical forests and dry steppes. The article further explores how urban environments have shaped biological, genetic, and behavioral adaptations in humans and other species, as well as their socio-ecological resilience. It argues that urban archaeology can provide valuable insights into sustainable urban planning, climate change resilience, and the co-evolution of urbanism with the Earth system. Finally, it calls for a co-evolutionary framework to study the interactions between urbanism, land use, and the Earth system, and to inform global initiatives and policies.