The Palaeo-Eskimos have left far more than the hundreds of pieces of art recovered by archaeologists and the evidence of human ingenuity and endurance on the perimeter of the habitable world. Their most valuable legacy lies in the realization that these two things occurred together and were part of the same phenomenon. They provide an example of lives lived richly and joyfully amid dangers and insecurities that are beyond the imagination of the present world.

Ancient Scandinavia provides a comprehensive overview of the archaeological history of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Bitter cold and constant snow. Polar bears, seals, and killer whales. Victor Frankenstein chasing his monstrous creation across icy terrain in a dogsled. The arctic calls to mind a myriad different images. Consisting of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, the United States, Russia, Greenland, Finland, Norway and Sweden, the arctic possesses a unique ecosystem—temperatures average negative 29 degrees Fahrenheit in winter and rarely rise above freezing in summer—and the indigenous peoples and cultures that live in the region have had to adapt to the harsh weather conditions. As global temperatures rise, the arctic is facing an environmental crisis, with melting glaciers causing grave concern around the world. But for all the renown of this frozen region, the arctic remains far from perfectly understood. In A History of the Arctic, award-winning polar historian John McCannon provides an engaging overview of the region that spans from the Stone Age to the present. McCannon discusses polar exploration and science, nation-building, diplomacy, environmental issues, and climate change, and the role indigenous populations have played in the arctic’s story. Chronicling the history of each arctic nation, he details the many failed searches for a Northwest Passage and the territorial claims that hamper use of these waterways. He also explores the resources found in the arctic—oil, natural gas, minerals, fresh water, and fish—and describes the importance they hold as these resources are depleted elsewhere, as well as the challenges we face in extracting them. A timely assessment of current diplomatic and environmental realities, as well as the dire risks the region now faces, A History of the Arctic is a thoroughly engrossing book on the past—and future—of the top of the world.

Originally published in 1967 by Alfred A. Knopf. Retrospective view of work in northwest Alaska by pioneer archaeologist and its relation to Eskimo prehistory. Includes an introduction by Henry B. Collins.

What is it like to live in a world of snow and ice? What traditions do the Inuit have today that they developed long ago? Travel into the past, into a world of igloos and frozen tundra. Stand next to a hole in the ice and wait patiently for a seal to appear. Climb into a boat and help others track down a whale. Finally, stop to visit the unique city of Nunavut and learn how the Inuit people have managed to blend their rich past with the present.--

Published to great reviews in Canada, the US and the UK, Ancient Mariner tells the riveting story of how Samuel Hearne—a sailor at 12, a northern explorer at 24, an admirer of Native peoples—became the first European to reach the Arctic coast of North America. Yet, as Ken McGoogan reveals, Samuel Hearne’s place in the history books has been a subject hotly disputed over the past two centuries. This fascinating saga, a skillful blend of literary detective work and finely imagined narrative, delights and surprises as it restores Hearne’s rightful place in history.

From the origins of the Arctic to its contemporary life, this book is an intriguing survey of human achievement in a place relatively unknown to the rest of the world. For more than 25,000 years, Arctic peoples have made warm and hospitable homes in diverse and innovative ways out of ecosystems of ice. For the first time in their long history, however, Arctic communities are facing the real possibility that the foundations of their way of life—sea ice and permafrost—will soon disappear. Published to coincide with a major exhibition at the British Museum, Arctic: culture and climate presents the history of the Arctic through the lens of climate and weather, and features a variety of fascinating objects, many of which are published here for the first time, including sealskin kayaks, drums used by shamans, traditional costumes, and contemporary art. This remarkable book explores the origins of Arctic peoples, early trade relationships between cultural groups, and relationships with animals, weather and their environments. It examines the strategies that indigenous people have used to deal with rapid transformations brought about by European explorations and colonial governments and sheds light on how these same strategies are being utilized today to mitigate the effects of global climate change. Bringing together indigenous and non-indigenous interdisciplinary scholars, this book is an arresting insight into the ways of life and material culture of Arctic peoples.

Focuses on the human inhabitants of the Arctic and their struggle for existence in one of the most inhospitable areas of the world. This book confirms the richness and diversity of the Arctics history, culture, wildlife and landscape and looks at its future.

Despite its extreme climate, the North American Arctic holds a complex archaeological record of global significance. In this volume, leading researchers provide comprehensive coverage of the region's cultural history, addressing issues as diverse as climate change impacts on human societies, European colonial expansion, and hunter-gatherer adaptations and social organization.

This book focuses specifically on the experience and protection of indigenous, and particularly Sámi sacred sites in the Arctic. Sacred sites are being increasingly recognized as important reservoirs of Arctic cultural and biological diversity, as a means for the transmission of culture and identity, and a tool for the preservation of fragile northern social-ecological systems. Yet, legal protection of Arctic sacred sites and related policies are often still lacking or absent. It becomes increasingly difficult for site custodians in the Arctic to protect these ancient sites, due to disruptive changes, such as climate change, economic developments and infrastructural development. With contributions from Sámi and non-Sámi scholars from Arctic regions, this book provides new insights into our understanding of the significance and legal protection of sacred sites for Sámi of the Arctic. It examines the role of international human rights, environmental law, and longstanding customary law that uphold Arctic indigenous peoples’ rights in conservation, and their associated management systems. It also demonstrates the complex relationships between indigenous knowledge, cultural/spiritual values and belief systems and nature conservation. The book looks forward to providing guidelines for future research and practice for improved integration of the ethical, cultural and spiritual values of nature into law, policy, planning and management. As such, this book offers a contribution to upholding the sanctity of these sites, their cultural identity and the biodiversity associated with them.