Abstract
This editorial‐cum‐paper reviews some of the main areas of interest in which biomolecular archaeology has either made a significant contribution, or promises to do so in the near future. Six major research areas are considered: hominid evolution, including the origins of anatomically‐modern humans; human migrations, dispersals and past population biology, including disease; reconstructing human diets, food webs and subsistence systems; the analysis of artefact use; site‐based interpretations; and the reconstruction of past human environments.