This paper describes in detail the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining characteristics of the normal human amygdaloid complex using fixed post-mortem brain tissue. It was shown that the differential AChE staining of the amygdala could be used to accurately delineate amygdaloid subdivisions macroscopically. Using the same staining method on the amygdala from brains previously frozen and stored at -70 degrees C resulted in a staining pattern similar to that seen using fixed tissue, despite numerous ice artifacts. It was concluded that this stain may be useful to researchers working on post-mortem human amygdala, particularly those involved in microdissecting this region for neurochemical analysis.