Abstract Carbon and sulphur isotopes have been analysed in mineralization from two Archaean greenstone belts at 3.8 Ga and 2.7 Ga, with the aim of distinguishing between the inorganic and organic processes that occurred. Despite an obvious overprinting by metamorphism (in the early belt), or hydrothermal fluids, there are convincing differences between the values of carbon and sulphur in inorganic formations and those formed by biological processes. An attempt is made to estimate the changes that occurred in the early life activities over this 1 Ga year period. Life in the Isua Greenstone Belt (3.8 Ga) was most likely present in transitory settings, probably under high temperature conditions. This was very different from the life at 2.7 Ga in the Belingwe Greenstone Belt, indicated by ranges of 38‰ for δ 34 S and 37‰ for δ 13 C red . By this time, the biological sulphur and carbon cycles seem to have reached almost full operation, with the presence of well-established photosynthetic microbial mat communities.