National Monuments of Zimbabwe

The National Monuments of Zimbabwe are protected and promoted in accordance with the National Museums and Monuments Act 1972.^[1][2] This law replaced the colonial-era Monuments and Relics Act 1936, which in turn replaced the 1902 Ancient Monuments Protection Ordinance and 1912 Bushmen Relics Ordinance.^[3] The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) is the body responsible for maintaining the Archaeological Survey, the national inventory of monuments and sites.^[4] In April 2000 there were approximately 14,000 entries on the Archaeological Survey, of which 118 were National Monuments (including natural, cultural, and mixed sites).^[4] 79 National Monuments had been declared under the old system by 1954.^[3] By 1980, the register had grown to over 3,000 sites and 169 declared monuments.^[3]