Area with archaeological finds (ÚAN)

An area with archaeological finds (území s archeologickými nálezy, ÚAN) is a place where archaeological finds occur or can be expected. Czech Act No. 20/1987 Coll. on State Heritage Care does not define it precisely. According to case law, it is both an area where finds have already been recorded and an area where, given natural conditions or historical development, they can be expected with high probability. A region may issue a plan of areas with archaeological finds by regulation; if it has not, these criteria apply. The Archaeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences therefore regards practically the whole of Czechia as such an area, except places where the deposits have demonstrably been removed, such as quarries.

Categories ÚAN I to IV

The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) keeps the State Archaeological List of the Czech Republic and divides land into four categories by the expected occurrence of finds:

• ÚAN I: area with clearly proven finds,
• ÚAN II: area where finds can reasonably be expected,
• ÚAN III: area where finds cannot be reliably ruled out,
• ÚAN IV: area without archaeological finds, such as quarried-out pits.

What a builder must do

Under Section 22(2) of the State Heritage Care Act, a builder must notify building work in an area with archaeological finds to the Archaeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (in Prague or Brno) from the preparation stage and allow it or another authorised organisation to carry out a rescue archaeological survey. The notice is free; it can be filed in writing, by e-mail, by data box or through a form in the Archaeological Map of the Czech Republic, and states the cadastral area, parcel numbers, dates and a description of the work. According to the public administration portal, it must be filed at the latest when topsoil stripping starts. The Archaeological Institute recommends notifying every building project; if no survey is needed, it tells the builder. Failure to notify can be fined up to CZK 4 million.

Who pays for the survey

The builder pays for the rescue survey only if it is a legal entity or a natural person whose business gave rise to the need for the survey. Otherwise the organisation carrying out the survey pays; a private individual building their own family house therefore usually does not pay. On smaller projects, such as family houses or water mains, the survey according to the Archaeological Institute mainly takes the form of supervising the earthworks.

Frequently asked questions

Does it also apply to an extension, a swimming pool or a utility connection?

Yes. The duty applies to building work and to any other activity that could endanger archaeological research, typically digging for foundations, a pool or a utility connection.

What if something is found during construction?

Under Section 266 of the Building Act, the builder must report an unexpected archaeological find to the building authority without delay, stop work at the site and protect the find from damage. Anyone who makes a find outside an archaeological survey must report it to the Archaeological Institute or the nearest museum by the following day at the latest and leave the find and the site unchanged for at least five working days.