Applying the Archaeological Resources Protection Act to Rock Art

Summary

The Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) provides a legal framework for site protection. A review of various ARPA cases involving rock art points out the advantages and challenges of referring rock art vandalism and theft for prosecution. Case outcomes have ranged from out-of-court settlements to fines to incarceration. The keys to successful prosecution of such cases are appropriate public education about archaeological resource protection laws, competent gathering of evidence, verifiable documentation of site condition before and after the alleged offense, and understanding the requirements of the law in terms of damage assessment and resource valuation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Contemporary Issues in Rock Art Conservation and Preservation

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14665