Return or restoration of some specific thing to its rightful owner or status. Compensation for loss; esp., full or partial compensation paid by a criminal to a victim, not awarded in a civil trial for tort, but ordered as part of a criminal sentence or as a condition of probation. In the context of the fight against the illicit traffic in cultural [..]

The instruments of "acceptance" or "approval" of a treaty have the same legal effect as ratification and consequently express the consent of a state to be bound by a treaty. In the practice of certain states acceptance and approval have been used instead of ratification when, at a national level, constitutional law does not requ [..]

The accession is an act by which a State signifies its agreement to be legally bound by the terms of a particular treaty. It has the same legal effect as ratification, but is not preceded by an act of signature. The formal procedure for accession varies according to the national legislative requirements of the State. To accede to a treaty, the appr [..]

The inclusion of an object in a museum's collection. The removal of an object from a museum’s collection. Source: Arthemis, Art-Law Centre, University of Geneva

The act of becoming the owner of certain property; the act by which one acquires or procures the property in anything. Acquisitions of cultural objects are a key activity through which places of conservation or individuals enlarge their collection. For museums, acquisitions are often made as part of a growth strategy. Source: International Observat [..]

The adoption is the formal act by which the form and content of a proposed treaty text are established. As a general rule, the adoption of the text of a treaty takes place through the expression of the consent of the states participating in the treaty-making process. Treaties that are negotiated within an international organization will usually be [..]

In its simplest form, an antiquity can be described as an object belonging to or dating from ancient times, though this description is not necessarily reflected by the contemporary world. For example, auction houses today may include in their departments of antiquities objects from the Middle Ages. Museological institutions tend to divide their col [..]

The authentication and valuation of an object or specimen. In certain countries the term is used for an independent assessment of a proposed gift for tax benefit purposes. Source: ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums

Shall be considered to be elements of the archaeological heritage all remains and objects and any other traces of mankind from past epochs: - the preservation and study of which help to retrace the history of mankind and its relation with the natural environment; and - for which excavations or discoveries and other methods of research into mankind [..]

Any place where objects, features, or ecofacts manufactured or modified by human beings are found. A material thing that can be seen and touched. Belonging to, having reference to, or dealing with archæology. Any material remains of the past which offer potential for archaeological investigation and analysis as a means of contributing to the unders [..]