State, Heritage, and Legal Frameworks: Ethiopia's 1966 Antiquities Proclamation in Context

abstract:Cultural heritage is central to shaping national identity and historical consciousness, serving as a repository of collective memory. Ethiopia's 1966 Antiquities Proclamation, enacted during political modernization and international engagement, marked a decisive step in heritage governance yet remains underexamined. This study employed a qualitative historical-legal approach to situate the proclamation within its broader historical, legal, and sociopolitical context. The law's preamble framed heritage protection as both a moral duty and a national obligation. It defined key terms, centralized state ownership of antiquities, and granted exclusive authority over archaeological exploration. Its state-issued permitting system underscored the primacy of public interest in protecting sites and regulating historical interpretation, affirming Ethiopia's cultural sovereignty. However, issued amid political modernization and the post–Italian invasion nation-building process, the law's practical impact was constrained by the absence of detailed regulations, limited institutional capacity, and minimal community participation.