Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remain Act,1968

No: 26 Dated: Jun, 27 1969

THE KERALA ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT, 1968

(Act 26 of 1969)

    An Act to provide for the preservation of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains other than those of national importance, for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.

    Preamble—WHEREAS it is expedient to prov1de for the ureservation of anc1ent monuments and archaeological Sites and remains other than those of national importance, for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects.

BE it enacted in the Nineteenth Year of the Republic of indie as follows——

1 Short title, extent and commencement.— (l) This Act may be called the Kerala Ancxent Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1968

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

2 Definitions— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) "ancxent monument" means any structure, erectxon er monument. or any tumulus or place of internment, or any cave, rock—sculpture, inscription or monolith, which is of historical, archaeologlcal or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than one hundred vears and includes— 

(i) the remains of an ancient monument,

(ii) the Site of an ancient monument,

(iii) such portion of land adjoining the site of an anoient monument as may be required for fencmg or covering in or otherWise preservmg such monument, and

(iv) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument

but does not include any ancient or historical monument declared by or under any law made by Parliament to be of national importance;

(b) "antiquity” includes—

(i) any coin, sculpture, manuscript, epigraph or other work of art or craftsmanship,

(ii) any article. object or thing detached from a building or cave.

(iii) any article object or thing illustrative of seience, art, crafts, literature, religion, customs, morals or politics in bygone ages

(iv) any article object or thing of historical interest, and

(v) any article, object or thing declared by the Government, by notification, to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act,

which has been in eXistence for not less than one hundred years,

(c) "archaeological officer” means an officer of the Department of Archaeology of the Government not lower in rank than an epigraphic aSSistant,