After an adventurous birth bouncing from Venezuela to Colombia and back, the Second World Archaeological Congress duly and amicably took place in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, between 4 and 8 September 1990. Some 500 people attended, many of them gratifyingly young. Sadly absent were representatives from the USSR, China and the Middle East, but otherwise participants came from the Americas, North (not many), Middle (Mexico), and South (notably Venezuelans, Peruvians and Colombians); the whole of Europe (including former Eastern bloc countries but numerically mainly Britons); Africa and India, intellectually articulate and influential as ever; and Australasia. Jack Golson (Canberra) was elected new President with Larry Zimmerman (South Dakota) taking over as Secretary, and Sue Bulmer (Auckland) as Treasurer.