This is the final issue of Archaeology International to be edited by me, so that it is only proper to commence this ‘Editorial’ by extending my thanks to those who have assisted in establishing AI in its ‘new’ format, beginning with AI 13/14 (2009–11). My principal debt throughout has been to Brian Hole, who has continued to assist in the creation of this volume (No. 16), although responsibility at Ubiquity Press for production of the journal has now passed to Tim Wakefield, to whom my thanks are due for his expertise and input this year.

I am again grateful to Andrew Reynolds, as Assistant Editor, for having overseen the regular features: ‘A Global Perspective’, the round-up of the Institute’s involvement in fieldwork around the world (co-ordinated by Marion Cutting); ‘Bookshelf’ (with the assistance of Ruth Whitehouse); ‘Alumni Reflections’; and ‘From the Archives’ (with Ian Carroll).

Last year, the ‘News’ section featured various events celebrating the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Institute of Archaeology, another of which is recorded here in the ‘Director’s Report 2012–13’. The ‘News’ items in this issue provide the usual mixture of reports on the work of the Institute and on related archaeological initiatives at UCL. All staff members of the Institute are encouraged to submit proposals for articles and news items for AI 17 (2013–14) to Liz Pye, who is to succeed me as Editor (e.pye@ucl.ac.uk).

Seven peer-reviewed ‘Articles’ commence with a report by Anna Clement and Simon Hillson on one of the Institute’s most significant current research projects: ‘Dentition and Early Hominin Diets’. An interim account of the major international research programme taking place in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is contributed by Sue Hamilton, whereas Georgina Hermann and Stuart Laidlaw summarise the most recent results of the on-going research on the famous Nimrud ivories. A preliminary report on excavations in Taraz, carried out jointly by UCL’s Centre for Applied Archaeology and Archaeological Expertise (Kazakhstan), is provided by Giles Dawkes.

The other three articles introduce an historical flavour to this issue, with Mike Parker Pearson writing on Stonehenge ‘Theories Past and Present’, Ruth Whitehouse on the career of Margaret Murray (marking the 150th anniversary of her birth) and Gabriel Moshenska on the ‘The Conference on the Future of Archaeology’, held at the Institute during World War II. Further aspects of the Institute’s early years at St John’s Lodge are recalled by Nicholas Thomas in his account of his period as a diploma student (1951–53).

The regular features summarising the Institute’s latest publications and fieldwork, together with the reflections of recent alumni and ‘From the Archives’, complete another issue of AI. It only remains to point out that the complete run of AI and its predecessor, the Bulletin of the Institute of Archaeology, is now freely available on-line (see inside the front cover); and, finally, for me to extend my best wishes to Liz Pye as she takes over as Editor.