Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979

54 Treatment and preservation of finds

(1) Where a person enters any land in exercise of any power of entry under this Act for any of the following purposes, that is to say—

(a) to carry out any excavations in the land or any operations affecting any ancient monument situated in, on or under the land;

(b) to observe any operations on the land in exercise of the power under section 6(3)(a) or (4)(b) or 38(1)(b) of this Act; or

(c) to carry out any archaeological examination of the land;

he may take temporary custody of any object of archaeological or historical interest discovered during the course of those excavations or operations or (as the case may be) during the course of that examination, and remove it from its site for the purpose of examining, testing, treating, recording or preserving it.

(2) The Secretary of State or other authority by or on whose behalf the power of entry was exercised may not retain the object without the consent of the owner beyond such period as may be reasonably required for the purpose of examining and recording it and carrying out any test or treatment which appears to the Secretary of State or to that other authority to be desirable for the purpose of archaeological investigation or analysis or with a view to restoring or preserving the object.

(3) Nothing in this section shall affect any right of the Crown in relation to treasure trove.