Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
2.Definitions.-
In
this Act unless the context otherwise requires-,
(a)
"ancient monuments" means any structure, erection or monument, or any
tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or
monolith, which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which
has been in existence for not less than one hundred years, 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 ancient monument as may be
required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument, and
(iv) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument;
(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 science, 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 Central Government, by
notification in the Official Gazette, 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 of India not lower in rank than Assistant Superintendent
of Archaeology;
(d) "archaeological site and remains" means any area which contains
or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or
archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than one
hundred years, and includes-
( i ) such portion of
land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or
otherwise preserving it, and
(ii) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, the area;
(e)
"Director-General" means the Director-General of Archaeology, and
includes any officer authorized by the Central Government to perform the duties
of the Director-General;
(f) "maintain, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions,
includes the fencing, covering in, repairing, restoring and cleansing of a
protected monument, and the doing of any act which may be necessary for the
porpoise of preserving a protected monument or of securing convenient access
thereto;
(g) "owner" includes-
( i ) a joint owner
invested with powers of management on behalf of himself and other joint owners
and the successor-in-title of any such owner; and
(ii) any manager or trustee exercising powers of management and the
successor-in-office of any such manager or trustee;
(h)
"prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
( i ) "protected area" means any
archaeological site and remains which is declared to be of national importance
by or under this Act;
(j) "protected monument" means an ancient monument which is declared
to be of national importance by or under this Act.
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