Act has come into force w.e.f. 15.08.1966 by notification No. ED 16 SAR 64 dated 8.8.66.

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

1. (1) “ancient monument” 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, archeological 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; -but shall not include ancient and historical monuments declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance;
2. (2) “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 or morals 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 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;
3. (3) “archeological site and remains” means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archeological

importance which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years,

and includes,-

1. (i) such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving it, and
2. (ii) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, the area; (4) 1[Commissioner] means the 1[Commissioner] of Archeology, and

includes any officer authorised by the Government to perform the duties of the

1[Commissioner] ;

1. (5) “Government” means the State Government;
2. (6) “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 purpose of preserving a protected monument or of securing convenient access thereto;
3. (7) “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;
4. (8) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
5. (9) “protected area” means any archeological site and remains which is declared to be protected under this Act;
6. (10) “protected monument” means an ancient monument which is declared to be protected by or under this Act. PROTECTED MONUMENTS

¹ Substituted by Act 35 of 2024 w.e.f. 12.08.2024.