Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
submittedVersion
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
Singapore is not well known for its archaeological heritage. In fact, chance finds in the early 20th century and systematic archaeological excavations since the 1980s conducted at sites around the Singapore River have unearthed artefacts 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 artefacts. 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.
Keywords
Archaeology, national monuments, planning law, Singapore
Discipline
Asian Studies | Property Law and Real Estate
Publication
International Journal of Cultural Property
Volume
20
Issue
3
First Page
257
Last Page
288
ISSN
0940-7391
Identifier
10.1017/S094073911300012X
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
City or Country
Cambridge, Great Britain
Citation
LEE, Jack Tsen-Ta.
A Presence of the Past: The Legal Protection of Singapore’s Archaeological Heritage. (2013). International Journal of Cultural Property. 20, (3), 257-288.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/1193
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S094073911300012X