Skeletons in the permafrost: Exploring climate-driven heritage loss and occupational health at the early modern whaling burial site of Likneset, Svalbard.

Rapid Arctic warming is accelerating the degradation of permafrost-preserved archaeological sites, threatening both cultural heritage and the scientific information it contains. Early modern whaling burial sites on Svalbard are particularly vulnerable due to their organic-rich burial contexts and exposed coastal settings. This study presents an integrated taphonomic and osteological analysis of the Likneset whaling burial site in northwestern Svalbard, addressing climate-driven changes in preservation conditions (RQ1) and the embodied health costs of labour in early modern Arctic whaling (RQ2). The material comprises 20 individuals excavated across three phases (Phase I: 1985-1990, n = 14; Phase II: 2016, n = 3; Phase III: 2019, n = 3). The dataset allows comparison across excavation phases and between contrasting geomorphological settings within the burial site, distinguishing erosion-exposed areas (A) from a more stable central zone (B). Burial structures, coffins, skeletal remains, and textiles were assessed using a unified preservation scoring system, combined with osteological analyses of demography, metabolic disease, developmental stress, musculoskeletal degeneration, and trauma. Results show that preservation at Likneset is structured by local geomorphology and ongoing environmental change. Burials in erosion-exposed areas display extensive disturbance and loss of organic materials, while graves in more stable settings retain better-preserved structures, skeletons, and textiles. Comparison of closely spaced burials within the same erosion-exposed area, excavated several decades apart, documents continued in situ degradation, with textile materials declining more rapidly than skeletal remains. Osteological evidence indicates a largely homogeneous burial population composed predominantly of young adult men. Despite generally robust stature, the skeletal record documents widespread physiological stress, including metabolic disease, developmental stress markers, and extensive activity-related skeletal changes developing early in adulthood. Trauma is predominantly healed, suggesting that mortality was more closely linked to cumulative nutritional deficiency and prolonged physical strain. The results highlight growing challenges for heritage management on Svalbard, where strategies based on in situ preservation and managed decay are increasingly strained under warming permafrost conditions, underscoring the need for systematic monitoring, targeted documentation, and integration of archaeological data into climate adaptation planning before irreplaceable archives are lost.