Summary

In the course of historic evolution, the indigenous Arctic populations acquired a unique experience of

mastering their harsh environment. Through a sustained struggle for existence, they developed distinctive

forms of ecological comportment, demographic patterns, ideology and ethics governing the deployment

of natural resources. A new aspect of Arctic history is thus revealed instead of textbook view of

«equilibrium societies» development — one filled with demographic ups and downs, ecological

disturbances, cultural gaps and ethnocultural discontinuities.

The theme is pursued through the history of two traditional subsistence patterns in Northern Eurasia

tundra zone — coastal sea-mammal hunting economy and inland tundra reindeer herding. Traditional

demography and effectiveness of aboriginal resource utilization are investigated on the base of local data

for certain Eurasian Arctic aboriginal communities (Eskimo, Chukchee, Ne-netz) from the 1920 —1930's.

No «equilibrium» state was found for native subsistence models due either to overexploitation of

wildgame stocks (maritime hunters) or to overpopulation (reindeer herders).

The impact of climatic changes and of wildlife game resources' fluctuations (caribou, moose, seamammals

etc.) is documented in Arctic Eurasia both in evolution of coastal maritime patterns of

adaptation and of inland nomadic subsistence. The value of ecological experience of aboriginal Arctic

populations is treated for the elaboration of new and more rational modes of resource utilization in the

North. It also provides a broad range of parallels, relevant for the reconstruction of subsistence use and

demographic patterns of primitive societies notably those of mammoth and other big-game hunters of

Eurasian periglacial plains in the course of the Upper Palaeolithic.

The book will be most valuable for anthropologists, archeolo-gists, biologists, ecologists occupied with

Far North and Arctic studies and for a wider circle of readers concerned with resource management,

development of Northern territories and general ideology of Man and Nature interactions.

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