Heritage Administration splits land excavation agencies

The Heritage Administration announced it has revised regulations to divide land excavation agencies into distinct archaeological and geological fields. The change aims to secure professional expertise for excavating buried assets that hold significant geological value, addressing limitations in the previous system that focused primarily on archaeological characteristics.

Under the amended Enforcement Rules of the Act on the Protection and Investigation of Buried Assets, the existing single category is now split into archaeology-focused and geology-focused institutions, allowing for specific qualification and registration standards tailored to each field. Officials noted a growing need to reflect the specific characteristics of geological heritage, which had been insufficiently covered under the unified framework restricted to archaeological features.

Existing agencies registered before the enforcement of these rules will automatically be recognized as archaeology-focused, while pending applications are deemed filed for the new archaeology category. The regulations took effect July 30.

The administration continues to manage administrative duties related to buried asset investigations, including the publication of survey reports. These measures aim to prevent damage during development projects by conducting surface and excavation surveys prior to construction, ensuring a balance between development and preservation while securing records of related relics.