In this Acts, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “ancient and historical monuments” means any structure, erection of monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith, which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years and includes-
(i) the remains of an ancient and historical monument,
(ii) the site of an ancient and historical monument,
(iii) such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient and historical 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 and historical monument; but does not include any ancient and historical monument declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance;
(b) "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, morals or politics in by gone ages,
(iv) any article, object or thing of historical interest, and
(v) any article, object or thing declared by the Government by notification to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act, which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years;
(c) "archaeological officer" means an officer of the Government appointed for the purpose of exercising the powers conferred on, and performing the functions assigned to, an archaeological officer under this Act, and includes any other officer authorised by the Government to exercise and perform all or any of such powers and functions;
(d) "archaeological sites and remains" means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of
1. Act came into force w. e. f. 1-5-1981 vide Not. No. WLP (3) 5/75-11 dated 15-4-1981 published in R. H. P. Extra, dated 27-4-1981 p. 291-292.
4 H.P. ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT, 1976 historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years, and includes-
(i) such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving it, and
(ii) the means of access to and convenient inspection of the area; but does not include any archaeological site or remains declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance;
(e) "director" means the Director of Archaeology and includes any other officer authorised by the Government to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Director under this Act;
(f) "Government" means the Government of Himachal Pradesh;
(g) "maintain", with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes the fencing, covering in, repairing, restoring and organising of a protected monument, and the doing of any act which may be necessary for the purpose of preserving a protected monument or for securing convenient access thereto;
(h) "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;
(i) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(j) "protected area" means any archaeological site and remains which is declared to be protected area by or under this Act; and
(k) "protected monument" means an ancient or historical monument which is declared to be a protected monument by or under this Act.
PROTECTION OF ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS