This unique volume aims to break down the lingering linguistic boundaries that continue to divide up the circumpolar world, to move beyond ethnographic ‘thick description’ to integrate the study of northern Eurasian hunting and herding societies more effectively by encouraging increased international collaboration between archaeologists, ethnographers and historians, and to open new directions for archaeological investigation of spirituality and northern landscape traditions. Authors examine the life-ways and beliefs of the indigenous peoples of northern Eurasia; chapters contribute ethnographic, ethnohistoric and archaeological case-studies stretching from Fennoscandia, through Siberia, and into Chukotka and the Russian Far East.

Examining human-animal relations among the reindeer hunting and herding Dukha community in northern Mongolia, this book focuses on concepts such as domestication and wildness from an indigenous perspective. By looking into hunting rituals and herding techniques, the ethnography questions the dynamics between people, domesticated reindeer, and wild animals. It focuses on the role of the spirited landscape which embraces all living creatures and acts as a unifying concept at the center of the human and non-human relations.

Many northern nations have long-established policies for the documentation and protection of historical monuments, archaeological sites, old churches and cemeteries, and other historic sites on the landscape. Little is known, however, about the knowledge, memory, and historical value of the landscape in northern indigenous cultures, and even less has been done to build the legal and policy foundation to preserve this heritage for future generations. Northern Ethnographic Landscapes reviews current progress in this field across the circumpolar nations of Canada, the U.S. (Alaska), northern Russia, Norway, and Iceland. Contributors to this pioneering volume address the role of traditional subsistence activities, memory, rituals and sacred sites, place names, oral tradition, and personal stories that keep northern communities attached to their native lands. Featuring over 120 photographs from across the Arctic, this volume will appeal to residents of the North, professionals in heritage and landscape preservation, and scholars and students in Native studies, archaeology, oral history, and cultural anthropology.

Fourteen papers discuss the origins of Baltic Finns, their culture and linguistics and their relationships with early Indo-Europeans. The authors re-evaluate the idea that northern Europeans 'came from the east'!

Study of the Khanty pastoralists of Siberia and their use of sacred landscapes.

Since 1972 UNESCO has been compiling a list of World Heritage sites, worthy of protection and conservation for the long-term. Written by someone who has been involved with the selection of sites for UNESCO, this book presents a personal insight into the process and what inspires and guides the decision-making of its members. Peter Fowler examines the idea of a `cultural landscape', how it is defined and why some landscapes are important and others less so. Guiding the reader through some of the cultural landscapes designated as a World Heritage Site, he also reveals some of the politics involved, the rivalry between areas seeking protection and the contentious issues that arise. Including Mount Athos in Greece, Tikal National Park in Guatemala, Kakadu National Park in Australia, the Isles of Scilly and Hadrian's Wall, it will be a thoroughly interesting and engaging book for anyone interested in the preservation of our cultural heritage worldwide.