The appearance during the first millennium A.D. of small, exquisitely carved artifacts of walrus ivory in the Bering Strait region marks the beginning of an extraordinary florescence in the art and culture of North America. The discovery in the 1930s and 1940s of world-class carvings of animals, mythical beasts, shape-shifting creatures, masks, and human figurines astounded scholars and excited collectors. Nevertheless, the extraordinary objects that belong to this fascinating, sometimes frightening, world of hunting-related art remain largely unknown. Gifts from the Ancestors examines ancient ivories from the coast of Bering Strait, western Alaska, and the islands in between-illuminating their sophisticated formal aesthetic, cultural complexity, and individual histories. Many of the pieces discussed are from recent Russian excavations and are presented here for the first time in English; others are from private collections not usually open to the public. The essays, written by an international group of scholars, adopt a refreshing interdisciplinary approach that gives voice to the various competing, and now sometimes cooperating, stakeholders, including Native groups, museums, archaeologists, art historians, art dealers, and private collectors. Distributed for the Princeton University Art Museum Exhibition Schedule: Princeton University Art Museum (October 3, 2009 - January 10, 2010)

Ethnographic archaeology has emerged as a form of inquiry into archaeological dilemmas that arise as scholars question older, more positivistic paradigms. Ethnographic Archaeologies describes diverse methods, objectives, and rationalities currently employed in the making of engaged and collaborative archaeological research.The contributors to this volume, for example, understand ethnographic archaeology variously as a means of critical engagement with heritage stakeholders, as the basis of public-policy debates, as a critical archaeological study of ethnic groups, as the study of what archaeology actually does (as opposed to what researchers often think they are doing) in excavations and surveys, and as a foundation for transnational collaborations among archaeologists. What keeps the term "ethnographic archaeology" coherent and relevant is the consensus among practitioners that they are embarking on a new archaeological path by attempting to engage the present directly and fundamentally.

Ethics in the field of archaeological research has become increasingly more complicated, particularly in response to the recent growth of contract archaeology. The past is not in fact "dead and buried," and ethical questions about this living record demand an ongoing discussion within the social and cultural groups who interpret this record. Authored largely by members of the Society for American Archaeology Ethics Committee, this up-to-date edited volume of original articles tackles issues such as the origins of and theory behind archaeological ethics, as well as archaeologists' responsibilities to the archaeological record, to diverse publics, to each other, and to their students. The book promises to fuel a critical debate among professionals and will be an important tool for training the next generation of archaeologists. Published in cooperation with the Society for American Archaeology. Published in cooperation with the Society for American Archaeology.

Ethnographies and Archaeologies explores the many different ways that the archaeological past is used to create meaning in the present. Under the guidance of editors Lena Mortensen and Julie Hollowell, the contributors seek to de-center or reposition the role of archaeologists and archaeological practice in constructing the past. A major focus of the volume is to examine how the past is mediated by social engagements in the present and the consequences of those encounters. It is positioned at the forefront of a growing trend to explore the intersection of archaeology and cultural anthropology. Broadly arguing for the application of ethnography to the dialogue on archaeological heritage, the book considers how concepts of nationalism, identity politics, and cultural production affect how the past is shaped by archaeology.