The Palaeolithic of Northeast Asia: The History and Results of Research 1940–1980 is a Russian-to-English translation of a 2003 monograph written by Vitaly A. Kashin and originally published by Nauka Press in Moscow. As the title indicates, the book is devoted to the development in northeast Asia of Paleolithic research from its roots just after World War II until some 40 years later when financial conditions were deteriorating rapidly for Soviet archaeologists. Not apparent, however, is the focus on Yakutia and Chukotka, important areas for several critical topics in paleoanthropology. Any publication dealing with this part of far northeastern Asia, for example, might contribute to our understanding of how Ice Age humans coped with Arctic environments, the subsequent peopling of the Americas, and possibly the fate of Neanderthals and their Denisovan cousins. In his book, Kashin examines a period of research (1940–1980) that was arguably the most productive in Soviet history. Soviet archaeologists were daring and well funded at the time, pioneering research in seemingly unimaginable areas where few scholars thought Paleolithic sites existed.

The book comprises an introduction, four main chapters, and a conclusion, plus a translators’ introduction, references cited, and an index. These are supported by 31 black-and-white illustrations and six color plates showing locations mentioned in the book, including several Paleolithic sites. The chapters are organized to reflect how, through time, regional Upper Paleolithic cultural histories seemingly developed in step with where Soviet archaeologists were carrying out excavations.

Chapter 1 covers the earliest Paleolithic discoveries in Siberia from tsarist times through the 1940s. Significantly, in 1940, archaeologist Alexey P. Okladnikov was chosen to head the Lena Historical-Archaeological Expedition. Important Paleolithic discoveries quickly followed. By the late 1950s, Okladnikov and his students had developed a basic cultural history for Upper Paleolithic northeast Asia, but holes remained in the scheme, especially in Yakutia and Chukotka. Chapter 2 is devoted to the work of several other researchers starting in the early 1960s who approached the discipline with confidence and vigor. Notable among them were Svetlana A. Fedoseeva and Yuri A. Mochanov. By the 1960s, Nikolai N. Dikov began making Paleolithic discoveries on the Kamchatka Peninsula. In part, Chapter 3 is devoted to Dikov's research at Ushki Lake. For many archaeologists both in Russia and abroad, the discovery of projectile points that were radiocarbon dated in excess of 14,000 BP at the gateway to the Americas was strong support for an Ice Age link between the two continents. Chapter 4 deals with a host of research debates stemming from what Kashin describes in the previous chapters. For example, some scholars disagreed with Mochanov's interpretation of the ages of sites in the Aldan (e.g., Ust-Mil II, Ikhine I, etc.), arguing that the sites were younger than he claimed; these criticisms remain today. A brief, one-page conclusion follows Chapter 4.

A few words should be said about the technical merits of the book. The binding is sturdy, and the pages are printed on high-quality glossy paper, resulting in a good value for its price of £30.00. The text is also nearly free of mechanical errors, which greatly improves readability. Richard L. Bland and Yaroslav V. Kuzmin did a remarkable job with the translation, considering challenges created by irregularities between the Russian and English languages, especially in a text devoted to Paleolithic archaeology. The translation was no simple task.

After reading the book, I asked myself two questions: What insights did I gain that were different from other titles dedicated to the Paleolithic of northeast Asia (e.g., Vladimir V. Pitul'ko's and Elena Yu. Pavlova's Geoarchaeology and Radiocarbon Chronology of Stone Age Northeast Asia [2016]), and what especially stood out? Indeed, I was impressed by the book in several ways. First, we must applaud the handful of Soviet archaeologists who led fieldwork in some of the most inhospitable locations anywhere. This was no small feat considering the enormous, remote territory that the women and men were responsible for researching in the short Arctic summers. Second, Kashin described nearly all artifact assemblages as including surface material. Although doing so may significantly increase the size of archaeological collections, this practice can introduce error as well. Third, it is difficult to recognize in the Paleolithic complexes described in Kashin's book any predecessors to early projectile points at Ushki Lake (Layer VII) or late-glacial North American sites. Notwithstanding labels like laurel-leaf points (e.g., Figure 9, Artifact 9) and willow points (e.g., Figure 10, Artifacts 6–7), the bifaces associated with the microblade industries in the book bear little resemblance to examples from Ushki Lake or the Americas.

Overall, Kashin's book makes a valuable contribution to the archaeology of Siberia, Beringia, and the Americas, and it is worth reading. My only complaint is that there were no color plates of artifacts: they would have greatly enhanced my reading experience. Yet, few books in English are devoted solely to the Paleolithic of Asiatic Russia or offer the insight and perspective of a scholar such as Kashin. The Palaeolithic of Northeast Asia is one of those rare examples.