To Consolidate and Amend the Law relating to Ancient Monuments and
Antiquities, and to provide Museums.  Law no.  IV of 1905.  See Sir J.
T. Hutchinson and S. Fisher, The Statute Laws of Cyprus, 1878-1906
(London, 1906), pp. 595-608.

Objects later than the Turkish conquest, and coins of Byzantine or later times, are not deemed to be antiquities.  All undiscovered antiquities of movable character are the property of the Government; all immovable antiquities are also the property of the Government, unless some person shall be the owner of them.  All antiquities must be reported by the person in possession of them to the Museum Committee, on pain of confiscation; antiquities found except in the course of authorized excavations must be reported within five days to the District Commissioner, One-third of such movable antiquities is taken by the Government, one-third by the finder, and one-third by the owner of the land.  Damage to ancient monuments is punished by fine or imprisonment or both.  Unauthorized excavation, even on land belonging to the excavator, and the purchasing of objects illegally excavated, are punished by fine or imprisonment or both.  Application for leave to excavate must be made to the Chief Secretary for Government.  All antiquities found in excavation belong to the Government; only duplicates, and objects not required by the Museum, are given to the excavator.  The Government has the right to expropriate land for the purpose of excavations.  The Museum Committee may acquire the interests of any private person in an antiquity on payment of compensation.  If the sum agreed on is not paid within six months, the Museum Committee loses all right to its acquisition.  Export of antiquities is forbidden except with the permission of the High Commissioner, which is granted only for objects not required by the Museum or for antiquities the interests in which the Museum Committee has failed to acquire in the manner described.

The Egyptian Law of Antiquities.

La Nouvelle Loi sur les Antiquites de l’Egypte et ses annexes.  Service des Antiquites.  Le Caire, Imprimerie de l’Institut francais d’archeologie orientala. 1913.

All antiquities belong to the State.  The State has the right of expropriating ground containing antiquities.  Transportable antiquities when found must be reported to nearest administrative authority or agents of the Service of Antiquities:  the finder receives half the objects thus reported or their value.  Excavation, dealing in antiquities, and exportation are forbidden unless under authorization.  Destruction of and damage to antiquities is punishable by fine and imprisonment.  Applications for leave to export or to excavate should be made to the Director-General of Service of Antiquities.  A tax of 1 1/2 per cent. is levied on the declared value of objects passed for export.  Leave to excavate is granted only to savants recommended by Governments or learned societies, or to private persons presenting proper guarantees.  The excavator pays the cost of guarding the site.  The Government takes half the portable objects found.