Section 2 in The Bihar Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites, Remains and Art Treasures Act, 1976
2. Definitions.
- In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context. -(a)"ancient monument" means any structure, erection or monument or any tumulus or place of internment, or burning 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 thereof;(ii)the site thereof;(iii)the portion of land adjoining such site which may be necessary or required for the preservation, protection, upkeep and maintenance of the same; and(iv)the means of access thereto and of convenient inspection and repairs thereof;(b)"antiquity" includes-(i)any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph, or other work of art or craftmanship;(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 which the State Government may by reason of its historical or archaeological association, by notification in the official Gazette, declare to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act and which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years; and(vi)any manuscript, record or other document which is of scientific, historical, literary or aesthetic value and which has been in existence for not less than seventy-five years.(c)"Art treasure" means any human work of art, not being an antiquity declared by the State Government by notification in the official Gazette, to be an art treasure for the purposes of this Act having regard to its historical and aesthetic value:Provided that no declaration under this clause shall be made in respect of any such work of art so long as the author thereof is alive;(d)"archaeological officer" means any officer of the Department of Archaeology and Museums of the State Government not below such rank as the State Government may from time to time prescribe;(e)"archaeological site and remains" means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance and 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;(f)"Director" means the Director of Archaeology and Museums of the State Government and includes any officer authorised by the State Government to perform the duties of the Director;(g)"maintain" with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, includes the fencing, covering in, repairing, restoring and cleansing of a protected monument and the doing of any act which may be necessary for the purpose of preserving a protected monument or of 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 a protected area by or under this Act;(k)"protected monument" means an ancient monument which is declared to be a protected monument by or under this Act; and(l)"State Government" means the State Government of Bihar.
