Preface • Dedication • DE WIT, M. J. & HYNEs, A. The onset of interaction between the hydrospere and oceanic crust, and the origin of the first continentallithosphere • ERIKSSON, K. A. Crustal growth, surface processes and atmospheric evolution of the early Earth • NISBET, E. G. Archaean ecology: a review of evidence for the early development of bacterial biomes, and speculations on the development of a global-scale biosphere • SHACKLETON, R. M. Tectonic evolution of greenstone belts • CHOUKROUNE, P., BOUHALLIER, H. & ARNDT, N. T. Soft lithosphere during periods of Archaean crustal growth or crustal reworking • TRELOAR, P. J. & BLENKINSOP, T. G. Archaean deformation patterns in Zimbabwe: true indicators of Tibetan style crustal extension or not? • WILSON, J. E, NESBITT, R. W. & FANNING, C. M. Zircon geochronology of Archaean felsic sequences in the Zimbabwe craton: a revision of greens tone stratigraphy and models for crus tal growth • TRENDALL, A. Paradigms for the Pilbara • MYERS, J. S. The generation and assembly of an Archaean supercontinent: evidence from the Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia • GROVES, D. I., RIDLEY, J. R., BLOEN, E. M., GEBRE-MARrAM, M., HAGEMANN, S. G., HRONSKY, J. M. A., KNIGHT, J. T., McNAUGHTON, N. J., OJALA, J., VIELREICHER, R. M., MCCUAIG, T. C. & HOLYLAND, P. W. Lode-gold deposits of the Yilgam Block: products of Late Archaean crustal-scale overpressured hydrothermal systems • HERRINGTON, R. J. Late Archaean structure and gold mineralisation in the Kadoma region of the Midlands greenstone belt, Zimbabwe • BRIDGWATER, D., MENGEL, E, FRYER, B., WAGNER, P. & HANSEN, S. C. Early Proterozoic dykes in the North Atlantic and Baltic cratons: the mafic field setting and chemistry of distinctive dyke swarms • PARK, R. G. Palaeoproterozoic Laurentian-Baltica relationships: a view from the Lewisian • WYNN, T. J. Deformation in the mid to lower continental crust: analogues from Proterozoic shear zones in NW Scotland • COWARD, M. P., SPENCER, R. M. & SPENCER, C. E. Development of the Witwatersrand Basin, South Mrica • GRAHAM, R. H. Asian analogues for Precambrian tectonics? • Index