In January 2023, I was honored and humbled to be appointed Editor-in-Chief of Ancient Mesoamerica (ATM), together with a new Editorial team including leading scholars Christina Halperin and Sarah (Stacy) Barber. My strong identification with ATM and its community, made the decision to take on this role a relatively easy one, despite the fact that I would have to walk into the giant footsteps of Bill Fowler and Nan Gonlin. Together with Christina and Stacy, we will continue to work hard to uphold the values of responsibility, accountability, and teamwork that my predecessors have developed; values which derive in relatively quick turn-around times, constructive reviews, and fairness and respect for all parties involved in the publication process. Even when manuscripts are rejected, we strive to provide detailed feedback on how to further improve them.

We continue to welcome archaeological papers with a focus on Mesoamerican studies. These manuscripts should either make a strong theoretical or methodological contribution. We are particularly excited to publish papers that deal with pressing issues in the field. In addition to our regular paper submissions and Special Sections (SS), ATM has introduced a new and exciting category of submission: The Compact Section (CS). This select set of short peer-reviewed papers has the objective of disseminating research results in a compact and timely manner. These short papers are not expected to make a theoretical contribution, but rather, to provide analysis of specific sets of data. The CS is the ideal format for publishing a select group of papers from a symposium at a professional meeting, the results of a collaborative research project, or a set of well-researched papers on an in- depth analysis of a specific topic or site, or using a method on a series of sites for a broader interpretation. The journal receives a large number of proposals so that acceptance is highly competitive. For more information on this exciting initiative please visit our website, and keep your eyes open for our first accepted CS, which should appear online soon!

Access the forthcoming special section on Archaeology in Chichen Itza for free from 28 March until 4 April 2023 (across the SAA 2023 Annual Meeting).