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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.
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, Public Law 96-95
- Department of Transportation Act, Public Law 89-670
- National Environmental Policy Act, Public Law 91-190
- National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 , Public Law 89-665
- Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, Public Law 101-601
- Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment , Executive Order 11593
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.
- Archaeological Resources Protection Act, North Carolina General Statutes (NCGS) 70, Article 2
- North Carolina Archaeological Record Program, NCGS 70, Article 4
- North Carolina Environmental Policy Act , NCGS 113A, Article 1
- Protection and Enhancement of the Historical and Cultural Heritage of North Carolina, Executive Order XVI of 1976
- Protection of Properties in the National Register, NCGS 121-12(a)
- Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act, NCGS 70, Article 3
- Cemetery Protection
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.
- Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, Public Law 100-298
- Sunken Military Craft Act of 2004, H.R. 4200
- Salvage of Abandoned Shipwrecks and Other Underwater Archaeological Sites NCGS 121, Article 3