Federal Laws 

The first federal law created to protect cultural (and natural) resources was the Antiquities Act of 1906. Since then, numerous other laws have been enacted that extend and improve on that landmark statute. If you would like to know more about the federal laws that impact archaeological sites, and cultural resources as a whole, the National Park Service (NPS) has a guide that summarizes key archaeology laws and regulations. You can also select from the links below to learn more about the individual federal laws and be further directed to the laws themselves.

 

State Statutes

Building on these federal laws listed above, the State of North Carolina has passed various statutes and measures that address the protection of cultural resources on state-owned land or under state protection. In addition, several laws have been passed that protect both marked and unmarked human burials and cemeteries. Select from the links below to learn more about these state statutes.

 

Underwater Archaeological Sites

In addition to the laws protecting cultural resources above, underwater archaeological sites have their own regulations at both the federal and state level.