The Oxford Handbook of The Prehistoric Arctic

The publishing of The Handbook of The Prehistoric Arctic is nothing less than a milestone within Arctic archaeology. Over three decades have now passed since the previous interregional syntheses of the North American Arctic were written for an academic readership (e.g. Damas 1984, Maxwell 1985). To fill this gap in the literature, editors T. Max Friesen and Owen K. Mason have united current leading researchers working across the field, including the western side of the Bering Strait and Greenland. The handbook delivers a comprehensive and thorough dissemination of knowledge that will stand as a vital work of reference for future research. In the near foreseeable future, it will surely be found on the bookshelves of every serious scholar in the field. The chapters of the handbook are divided among three parts. Part one introduces the reader to the North American Arctic through themes relevant to the entire area and its prehistory, showcasing the potentials of different methodologies such as climatic reconstructions, wood analysis, metallurgy, etc. Parts two and three cover the Western and Eastern Arctic regions respectively, a division that follows clear (but permeable) cultural boundaries throughout prehistory. The narrative structures of the two parts are somewhat different due to the varying complexity of the regions’ prehistories. This pertains to the deeper prehistory and geographic position of the Western Arctic as the gateway to North America, and the extremity of the Eastern Arctic geography and its severe conditions for human adaptation. Although a few themes and regions have evidently been difficult to corral into the format of a comprehensive handbook, the total result is an orderly and forthright volume that is accessible for a general academic readership. The two opening chapters feature recent advances in genomic and isotope science made within Arctic archaeology, introducing the reader to the field through perspectives from cutting-edge research in archaeological science. While innovations in archaeological science have advanced our understanding of culture-historical connections between prehistoric and present demographics of the Arctic, progress has also been made in decolonising archaeology to include Indigenousfocused methodologies and community-oriented research. Historically, the participation of Indigenous populations in Arctic archaeology has often been limited to being represented in ethnographic literature as analogies for prehistoric societies. This situation has changed through recent decades, concurrently with the development of community-based archaeology. The topic is covered in chapter 8 by Natasha Lyons, who thoughtfully challenges perceptions of what makes archaeology relevant for society by reviewing the development and current state of the relationship between archaeology and Indigenous communities of the Arctic. The critical evaluation of past and present research practices can be reflected on the preface discussion by the editors concerning how ethnographic accounts of modern and recent peoples are used in Arctic archaeology. While the use of ethnography in research on Arctic prehistory remains a highly relevant issue throughout the handbook, Lyons looks beyond the use of historical and modern ethnographies towards the actual involvement by local communities in archaeological research. The reader is thus engaged in a discussion of why researchers should be concerned about how they interact with, and how their research impacts, Indigenous stakeholders. Rather than providing a protocol for making research multivocal and accessible, the chapter serves as an intellectual platform for researchers to reflect on the context and