Law & Policy
All archeological resources, both sites and collections, are protected by law on federal and state lands. it is important to understand these laws and how they apply. Federal law is consistently applied across the nation, but state and local laws may differ in each location. Contact your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) or State Archeologist to find out about laws concerning archeology in your state. Links to SHPOs in the National Capital Region are provided.
Federal Law and Policy
- Antiquities Act (1906)
- Historic Sites Act (1935)
- National Historic Preservation Act (1966)
- National Environmental Policy Act (1969) (portions, as amended)
- Archeological and Historic Preservation Act (1974 as amended)
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act (1979)
- Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines (1983 as amended)
- Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (1990)
- 36 CFR §79 Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archeological Collections
- 43 CFR §7 Protection of Archaeological Resources
- NPS History & Culture – Laws, Executive Orders & Regulations
Permits
Other links of interest ...
- NPS Archeology Program Archeology Law and Ethics
- Managing Archeological Collections
- The Story of the Antiquities Act
- National Historic Preservation Act and the National Park Service: A History