Cultural heritage
A cultural heritage site is a physical trace of human activity, from archaeological finds and burial mounds to standing buildings, bridges and industrial plants. Cultural heritage sites are protected by kulturminneloven (the Cultural Heritage Act), and a find on a plot can both delay a development project and make it more expensive, and in the worst case stop it altogether.
Under kulturminneloven § 4, all fixed cultural heritage sites from before 1537 (the Reformation) are automatically protected. The same applies to standing structures from the period 1537 to 1649, Sami cultural heritage sites from 1917 or earlier, and ship finds more than 100 years old. More recent cultural heritage sites can be protected by a protection decision from Riksantikvaren (the Directorate for Cultural Heritage), and the municipality can also place buildings and environments worth preserving on a local list or protect them through a consideration zone in a zoning plan. Automatic protection also covers a safety zone, which until otherwise determined is a five metre wide belt measured from the visible outer edge of the site.
The developer has a duty under § 8 to notify the correct authority as early as possible if a measure may affect a protected cultural heritage site. Responsibility is split: archaeological cultural heritage sites sit with the county authority and Sametinget (the Sami Parliament), standing buildings with the county authority, while Riksantikvaren is the national specialist directorate. For many zoning plans it is the county authority that assesses whether the planning proposal will conflict with known or unknown cultural heritage sites, and the municipality can require an archaeological survey before a building application is processed. A find during construction work triggers an immediate duty to stop and notify, and further handling can involve excavation, redesign or relocation.
Where the rules conflict, kulturminneloven takes precedence over plan- og bygningsloven (the Planning and Building Act). The costs of archaeological survey and excavation are normally borne by the developer under § 10, but state funding is available for smaller, private measures. The most important registers to check during an acquisition phase are Askeladden (Riksantikvaren's specialist database), Kulturminnesøk (the public version) and the municipality's own local registers.
In Placepoint, cultural heritage sites are shown as map layers on the map, so that you quickly uncover registered sites near a property and can assess the risk before purchase or zoning.
How the dataset is shown on the map
The dataset is part of the map layer Property as Cultural heritage - Askeladden WMS:
From Placepoint's dictionary: Cultural heritage
More information: Lovdata: kulturminneloven, Riksantikvaren: management of cultural heritage, Kulturminnesøk
English: Cultural heritage sites.
Frequently asked questions
What are cultural heritage sites?
Cultural heritage sites are traces of human activity from the past, such as buildings, structures, roads and archaeological finds. They are protected under kulturminneloven, and finds on a plot can significantly affect development.
What are automatically protected cultural heritage sites?
Automatically protected cultural heritage sites are all cultural heritage sites from before 1537 (the Middle Ages and earlier). More recent sites can be protected by decision of Riksantikvaren. It is unlawful to damage or demolish automatically protected sites.
What happens when cultural heritage sites are found during development?
When a building application is submitted, the municipality can require an archaeological survey. If finds are made during development, the developer has a duty to stop the work and notify the county authority or Sametinget immediately.
Can cultural heritage sites stop a development project?
Yes, finds of unknown cultural heritage sites can stop a project temporarily or permanently, and require the developer to fund archaeological investigations. It is important to check the cultural heritage registers before purchase.
Where do I find information about cultural heritage sites in an area?
Riksantikvaren's Askeladden and the public service Kulturminnesøk are the primary sources. Placepoint shows the cultural heritage data as map layers so that you can quickly uncover registered sites near a property.