The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average with overlooked consequences for the
preservation of the rich cultural and environmental records that have been stored for millennia in
archaeological deposits. In this article, we investigate the oxic degradation of different types of
organic archaeological deposits located in different climatic zones in West and South Greenland. The
rate of degradation is investigated based on measurements of O2 consumption, CO2 production and
heat production at different temperatures and water contents. Overall, there is good consistency
between the three methods. However, at one site the, O2 consumption is markedly higher than the
CO2 production, highlighting the importance of combining several measures when assessing the
vulnerability of organic deposits. The archaeological deposits are highly vulnerable to degradation
regardless of age, depositional and environmental conditions. Degradation rates of the deposits are
more sensitive to increasing temperatures than natural soils and the process is accompanied by a high
microbial heat production that correlates significantly with their total carbon content. We conclude that
organic archaeology in the Arctic is facing a critical challenge that requires international action.