Heritage sites and ancient finds

The County Administrative Board is responsible for heritage sites and ancient finds in the county. Please contact us if you, for example, discover damage to a heritage site or an ancient find, have found an ancient find, or are planning a project close to a heritage site.

The County Administrative Board ensures that heritage sites and ancient finds in the county are preserved, and that no harm are done to them. All heritage sites and ancient finds have an automatic protection under the Heritage Conservation Act. The protection under the act applies to sites and finds we already know about as well as to sites and finds that are yet to be discovered.

Contact the County Administrative Board if you:

  • plan a project that risks affecting ancient finds
  • discover an ancient find
  • plan to use a metal detector
  • discover damage to ancient finds
  • need advice on how to protect and manage heritage sites or ancient finds

Permit for interventions in or at an ancient find

You need a permit from the County Administrative Board to carry out work that risks affecting ancient finds.

Examples of interventions that require a permit:

  • build a house
  • construct a road
  • installing underground cables
  • planting and landscaping

Our starting point is to preserve ancient finds, so you should primarily plan the project so that you avoid affecting them.

What does the Heritage Conservation Act say about heritage sites?

The Heritage Conservation Act says that you require a permit from the County Administrative Board to carry out the following interventions in or at an ancient find:

  • dislocate
  • remove
  • excavate
  • cover
  • change
  • harm

Please, keep in mind that the land area around the ancient find also is protected. If you are unsure of the size of the protected area, contact the County Administrative Board. Even a newly discovered ancient find has an immediate protection.

Are you going to fell or work with soil scarification in the forest?

Cultural conservation environments in the forest may be damaged in connection with felling and soil scarification. You should always consult the County Administrative Board before burning, taking measures on an existing road, ash recycling and fertilising. You need a permit for:

  • soil scarification
  • planting
  • new road construction
  • protective ditching
  • stump harvesting

Did you notify a final felling to the Swedish Forestry Agency?

The County Administrative Board permits reforestation measures. If you have notified a final felling of forest that affects an ancient find or the area around the ancient find, the Swedish Forest Agency will hand over the case to the County Administrative Board. In that case you do not have to submit an application to us.

Apply for a permit

Fill in the form to apply for a permit to intervene in or at an ancient find. Send your application to us in good time before you plan to start working.

In your application you need to include:

  • what work you plan to carry out
  • the size of the affected land area (for example: 10 x 20 meters in size and 1,0 meter deep)
  • who owns the property
  • property unit designation

You are also required to attach an overview map as well as a detailed map that shows the affected land area. You can use the County Administrative Board’s Map Service.

The e-services and forms of the County Administrative Board in this field are not available in English. If you wish to submit an application or notification, you may contact the County Administrative Board, which can inform you how to proceed.

Cases concerning ancient finds in forests

You can no longer submit cases related to ancient finds through e-services at the Swedish Forest Agency. The e-service is no longer shared between the Swedish Forest Agency and the County Administrative Board.

You therefor need to contact the County Administrative Board in cases related to:

  • Ancient finds affected by forestry or road construction.
  • Drainage in woodland.

Did you find an ancient find?

An ancient find is an object without ownership, which has been found at a heritage site or at another location and is likely to be from the time before 1850.

What does the Heritage Conservation Act say about relics?

An ancient find is an object without ownership, which has been found at a heritage site or at another location and is likely to be from the time before 1850. The Heritage Conservation Act states that the State has the right to acquire an ancient find:

  • if the find wholly or partly consists of gold, silver, copper, bronze or any other copper alloy, or
  • if the find consists of two or more objects, which were likely deposited together

Contact us

If you have found an ancient find that the state has a right to acquire, you must report it to the County Administrative Board or to the Police. If the find belongs to a shipwreck you can choose to contact the Coast Guard.

You, who discovered the find, may be required to surrender the ancient find in return for a receipt, and to state where, when and how you discovered the find.

Metal detectors

According to the Heritage Conservation Act it is not allowed to use a metal detector without a permit from the County Administrative Board. We only approve permits for a limited area, and never for areas around heritage sites or ancient finds.

Contact

Kalmar County Administrative Board

Welcome to contact us at:

Dela sidan:

Landshövding

Allan Widman

Besöksadress

Regeringsgatan 1, Kalmar

Postadress

391 86 Kalmar

Organisationsnummer

202100-2304

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