Cultural property law is the body of law that protects and regulates the disposition of culturally significant material, including historic real property, ancient and historic artifacts, artwork, and intangible cultural property. Cultural property can be any property, tangible or intangible, having special significance to a defined group of people, whether or not the group is vested with a traditional property interest. Cultural property laws may be international (such as international conventions or bilateral agreements) or domestic (such as federal laws or state laws).
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Cultural property during armed conflict
Two major treaties have dealt with the issue of cultural heritage protection during armed conflict:
Repatriation and looting
Repatriation issues may also apply domestically, for instance, in the United States, the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)