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A Presence of the Past: The Legal Protection of Singapore's Archaeological Heritage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2013

Jack Tsen-Ta Lee
Jack Tsen-Ta Lee*
Affiliation:
School of Law, Singapore Management University, 60 Stamford Road, #04-11, Singapore178900. Email: jacklee@smu.edu.sg.
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Abstract

Singapore is not well known for its archaeological heritage. In fact, chance finds in the early twentieth century and systematic archaeological excavations since the 1980s conducted at sites around the Singapore River have unearthed artifacts shedding light on the island's early history. In addition, the value of archaeology for a deeper knowledge of Singapore's British colonial past is increasingly being recognized. Nonetheless, Singapore law provides only a rudimentary framework to facilitate archaeological investigations and protect cultural artifacts. This article considers how the National Heritage Board Act (Cap. 196A, 1994 Rev. Ed.), the Planning Act (Cap. 232, 1998 Rev. Ed.), and the recent Preservation of Monuments Board Act 2009 (No. 16 of 2009, now Cap. 239, 2011 Rev. Ed.) may be strengthened in this regard.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Cultural Property , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , August 2013 , pp. 257 - 288
Copyright
Copyright © International Cultural Property Society 2013 

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