Publication Type
Presentation
Version
submittedVersion
Publication Date
5-2011
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, land acquisition, national monuments, planning law, Singapore, treasure trove
Discipline
Asian Studies | Property Law and Real Estate
Publication
Asian Law Institute 8th Conference: Law in a Sustainable Asia, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, 26-27 May 2011
City or Country
Fukuoka, Japan
Citation
LEE, Jack Tsen-Ta.
A Presence of the Past: The Legal Protection of Singapore’s Archaeological Heritage. (2011). Asian Law Institute 8th Conference: Law in a Sustainable Asia, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, 26-27 May 2011.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/1194
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Comments
The presentation was given on 26 May 2011.