Section 2 in The Ancient Monuments And Archaeological Sites And Remains Act, 1958

2. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) " ancient monument" means any structure erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, 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 of an ancient monument,

(ii) the site of an ancient monument,

(iii) such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as may be required for fencing or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument, and

(iv) the means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument;

1. Extended to Goa, Daman and Diu with modifications by Reg. 12 of 1962, S. 3 and Sch. (w. e. f. 22- 11- 1962 ). Extended to Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and Sch. I (w. e. f. 11- 7- 1965 ) and Pondicherry by Reg. 7 of 1963, s. 3 and Sch. I (w. e. f. 1- 10- 1963 ).

2. Subs. by Act 52 of 1972, s. 33, for sub- section (2) (w. e. f. 5- 4- 1976 ).

3. 15th October, 1959, see Notification No. S. 0. 2307, dated 15th October, 1959, Gazette of India, Extraordinary, 1959, Pt. II, See. 3 (ii), p. 537.

(b) " antiquity" includes-

(i) any coin, sculpture, manuscript, epigraph, or other work of art or craftsmanship,

(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 bygone ages,

(iv) any article, object or thing of historical interest, and

(v) any article, object or thing declared by the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to be an antiquity for the purposes of this Act, which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years;

(c) " archaelogical officer" means an officer of the Department of Archaeology of the Government of India not lower in rank than Assistant Superintendent of Archaeology;

(d) " archaeological site and remains" means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance 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;

(e) Director- General" means the Director- General of Archaeology, and includes any officer authorised by the Central Government to perform the duties of the Director General;

(f) " 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;

(g) " 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 power of management and the successor- in- office of any such manager or trustee;

(h) " prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(i) " protected area" means any archaeological site and remains which is declared to be of national importance by or under this Act;

(j) " Protected monument" means an ancient monument which is declared to be of national importance by or under this Act.