Objectives:
The 1912 Bushman Relics Proclamation was intended to protect the material culture of the San people and other archaeological artifacts in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). The proclamation established that no cultural artifacts or human remains could be removed from Northern Rhodesia without a permit from the British South Africa Company, which administered the territory for the UK at that time.
Restitution Measures:
The Act required formal permits for any export of cultural artifacts and human remains. Zambia’s Heritage Act has been in existence since 1912 when it was known as the Bushman Relics Proclamation, changing in 1930 to the Protection of Archaeological Objects Ordinance, showing its evolution into modern heritage protection legislation. Subsequent legislative strengthening meant that 1930 Preservation of Archaeological Objects Ordinance No. 5 focused on protection of archaeological objects.
Framework Limitations:
The Act’s enforcement was limited by colonial administrative structures. A notable case involves the Kabwe skull (Rhodesian Man), where Zambians insist that no permit was ever issued to the Broken Hill mining company when it donated the skull to the British Museum, highlighting enforcement gaps that allowed illegal exports of significant archaeological materials. The Proclamation was issued by British South Africa Company, not independent Zambian government. The Kabwe Man remains unreturned after 50+ years of negotiations (since 1972).
