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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66299</law_id><section_number>10.1-2300</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>10.1-1004</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="10.1">Conservation</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Activities Administered by the Department of Historic Resources</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="23">Virginia Antiquities Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Battlefield preservation organization</span>&#x201D; means a private nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is the preservation of one or more historical battlefields, including a <span class="dictionary">battlefield property</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/10.1-2200/">10.1-2200</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Field investigation</span>&#x201D; means the study of the traces of human culture at any site by means of surveying, sampling, excavating, or removing surface or subsurface <span class="dictionary">material</span>, or going on a site with that <span class="dictionary">intent</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Field supervisor</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">person</span> who is physically present at least 70 percent of the time during a <span class="dictionary">field investigation</span>, exploration, or recovery operation involving the removal, destruction, or disturbance of any <span class="dictionary">object of antiquity</span> and who directly oversees such <span class="dictionary">field investigation</span>, exploration, or recovery operation.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Object of antiquity</span>&#x201D; means any relic, artifact, remain, including human skeletal remains, specimen, or other archaeological article that may be found on, in, or below the surface of the earth that has historic, scientific, archaeologic, or educational value.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; means any natural individual, partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity.
		&#x201C;Site&#x201D; means a geographical area on dry land that contains any <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of human activity that is or may be the source of important historic, scientific, archaeologic, or educational data or <span class="dictionary">objects</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State archaeological site</span>&#x201D; means an area designated by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> in which it is reasonable to expect to find <span class="dictionary">objects</span> of antiquity.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State archaeological zone</span>&#x201D; means an interrelated grouping of <span class="dictionary">state archaeological sites</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State archaeologist</span>&#x201D; means the individual designated pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Duties of Director" href="/10.1-2301/">10.1-2301</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State-controlled land</span>&#x201D; means any land owned by the Commonwealth or under the primary administrative <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of any <span class="dictionary">state agency</span>. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State agency</span>&#x201D; shall not mean any locality or any <span class="dictionary">board</span> or authority organized under state <span class="dictionary">law</span> to perform local or regional functions. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">State-controlled land</span>&#x201D; includes state parks, state wildlife areas, state recreation areas, highway rights-of-way, and state-owned easements.</p></section></text><history>1977, c. 424, &#xA7; 10-150.3; 1984, c. 750; 1988, c. 891, &#xA7; 10.1-900; 1989, c. 656; 2005, c. 457; 2020, c. 1106; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 59.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
