Why you can’t take it with you!

– The Antiquities Act of 1906 provides for basic protection of cultural resources on Federal lands.

– The Historic Sites Act of 1935 declares it a national policy to “preserve for public use historic sites…”

– The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended reemphasizes as national policy the “protection, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction of …sites significant in American …archaeology or culture.”

– The Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA) prohibits the excavation, removal, alteration, or defacement of any archaeological resource located on public or Indian land without a permit. It prohibits trafficking in archaeological resources obtained in violation of Federal law. ARPA prohibits “removal of any paleontological, prehistoric, historic, or archaeological resource, structure, site, artifact, or property” from the National Forest or any other public lands. Violations are punishable by fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to two years for a first conviction and up to $250,000 and five years for subsequent convictions.

– National American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) provides for the intentional removal and inadvertent discovery of human remains and sets forth a process for repatriation of human remains and associated funerary objects to Native Americans.