§ 39-7-1. Short title
This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the “Antiquities Law of Mississippi.”
§ 39-7-11. Designation of sites, objects, etc., upon lands belonging to state or political subdivision as Mississippi landmarks; recording; alteration, excavation, etc., of sites
All other sites, objects, buildings, artifacts, implements, and locations of archaeological significance, including, but expressly not limited to, those pertaining to prehistoric and historical American Indian or aboriginal campsites, dwellings, and habitation sites, their artifacts and implements of culture, as well as archaeological sites of every character that are located in, on or under the […]
§ 39-7-13. Designation of sites located upon private lands as Mississippi landmarks; recordation; marking
Any site located upon private lands which is determined by majority vote of the board to be of sufficient archaeological, historical or architectural significance may be designated by the board as a Mississippi landmark. It is specifically provided, however, that no such site shall be so designated upon private land without the written consent of […]
§ 39-7-15. Removal from designation
Upon majority vote of the board any Mississippi landmark on public or private land may be determined to be of no further historical, archaeological, or architectural significance, or not of sufficient significance to warrant its further classification as such, and upon such determination it may be removed from such designation. In the case of sites […]
§ 39-7-17. Contracts for salvage; surveys; excavation
The board shall be authorized to enter into contracts with other state agencies or institutions and with qualified private institutions, corporations, or individuals for the discovery and salvage of treasure imbedded in the earth, sunken or abandoned ships or wrecks of the sea, parts thereof and their contents. Such contracts are to be on forms […]
§ 39-7-19. Permits for excavation, salvage, studies, etc., at Mississippi landmarks
The board shall be authorized to issue permits to other state agencies or institutions and to qualified private institutions, companies, or individuals for the taking, salvaging, excavating, restoring, or the conducting of scientific or educational studies at, in or on Mississippi landmarks as in the opinion of the board would be in the best interest […]
§ 39-7-21. Supervision of salvage or recovery operations; custody of antiquities; promulgation of rules and regulations
All salvage or recovery operations described under Section 39-7-17, and all operations conducted under permits set out in Section 39-7-19, must be carried out under the general supervision of the board, in accordance with reasonable rules and regulations adopted by the board, and in such manner that the maximum amount of historic, scientific, archeological, and […]
§ 39-7-22. Public construction or improvement affecting potential Mississippi landmarks
In the early stages of planning and always prior to the letting of bids for public construction, public improvement of any nature, or the transfer of public property to private ownership, state agencies, local governments and all their political subdivisions shall notify the board of the planned action on a form supplied by the board. […]
§ 39-7-23. Expenditures for acquisition of items; gifts and bequests; contracts for temporary possession of items by others
The board is hereby authorized to expend such sums, from any appropriations hereafter made for such purposes, as it may deem advisable, to purchase from the salvager or permittee such salvager’s or permittee’s share, or portion thereof, of items recovered which in the opinion of the board should remain the property of the State of […]
§ 39-7-25. Restoration of antiquities for private parties
The restoration of antiquities for private parties is authorized and shall be under the rules and regulations promulgated by the board, and all costs incurred in such restoration, both real and administrative, shall be paid by the private party.
§ 39-7-27. Reproduction, forging, etc., of antiquity with intent to deceive
No person shall intentionally reproduce, replicate, retouch, rework, or forge any archeological or other object which derives value from its antiquity, with intent to represent the same to be original or genuine and with intent to deceive or offer any such object for sale or exchange.
§ 39-7-29. Defacing of American Indian or aboriginal markings or carvings
No person shall intentionally and knowingly deface any American Indian or aboriginal paintings, hieroglyphics, or other marks or carvings on rock or elsewhere which pertain to early American Indian or aboriginal habitation of the country.
§ 39-7-3. Declaration of public policy
It is hereby declared to be the public policy and in the public interest of the State of Mississippi to locate, protect, and preserve all sites, objects, buildings, shipwrecks, and locations of historical, archaeological, or architectural significance, including, but not limited to historically or architecturally significant buildings, structures relating to significant engineering accomplishments, prehistoric and […]
§ 39-7-31. Entry upon land of another to deface, remove or destroy archeological relics or sites
No person, not being the owner thereof, and without the written consent of the owner, proprietor, lessee, or person in charge thereof, shall enter or attempt to enter upon the lands of another and intentionally injure, disfigure, remove, excavate, damage, take, dig into, or destroy any historical structure, monument, marker, medallion, or artifact, or any […]
§ 39-7-33. Disfigurement, removal, destruction, etc., of historical structure or artifact
It shall be unlawful for any person, not being the owner thereof, and without lawful authority, to wilfully injure, disfigure, remove or destroy any historical structure, monument, marker, medallion, or artifact.
§ 39-7-35. Penalties for violations of chapter; finder’s fee for arrest and conviction of violator
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or by confinement in jail for not more than thirty (30) days, or by […]
§ 39-7-37. Civil action to enjoin violations or threatened violations of chapter; venue
In addition to, and without limiting the other powers of the attorney general of the state of Mississippi and without altering or waiving any criminal penalty provision of this chapter, the attorney general shall have the power to bring an action in the name of the State of Mississippi in any court of competent jurisdiction […]
§ 39-7-39. Other agencies and governments to assist in enforcement of chapter
The chief administrative officers of all state agencies and of all state and local governments are authorized and directed to cooperate with and assist the board and the attorney general in carrying out the intent of this chapter. All law enforcement agencies and officers, state and local, are authorized and directed to assist in enforcing […]
§ 39-7-4. Definitions
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply: “Historical significance” means that quality or qualities associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of state, local or national history, or that quality or qualities associated with the lives of persons significant in local, state or national history. […]
§ 39-7-41. Certain archaeological records exempt from requirement of public access
Records in the possession of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History or any other public body as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 25-61-3 which contain information about the location of any specific archaeological site and which in the opinion of any such agency possessing such records would, upon the disclosure thereof, create a […]