# Law No. 3924 of July 26, 1961

> Brazilian law

**Wikidata**: [Q105648103](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105648103)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/law-no-3924-of-july-26-1961

## Summary
Law No. 3924 of July 26, 1961 is a Brazilian federal statute that regulates archaeological and prehistoric monuments. Enacted during the presidency of Jânio Quadros, it establishes rules concerning time limits, registration, authorization, international transfer, and exploration of such cultural heritage sites.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** Lei nº 3924, de 26 de julho de 1961
- **Date of Publication:** July 26, 1961
- **Place of Publication:** Brasília, Brazil
- **Enacting Authority:** Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, under President Jânio Quadros
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to Brazil
- **Language:** Brazilian Portuguese
- **Legal Citation:** Lei nº 3924/1961
- **Instance Of:** Statute (a formal written document that creates law)
- **Primary Subject Matter:** Archaeological and prehistoric monuments (law digest: "DISPÕE SOBRE OS MONUMENTOS ARQUEOLOGICOS E PRE-HISTORICOS.")
- **Specific Regulatory Subjects:** Time limit ("Prazo"), Register ("Registro"), Authorization ("Autorização"), Rest of the world ("Exterior"), Extraction ("Exploração"), Transfer ("Transferencia")
- **Digital Identifier:** LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924`
- **Official Text URL:** https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3924.htm
- **Wikidata Description:** Brazilian law
- **Project Context:** On the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws

## FAQs
**What is the primary purpose of Law No. 3924/1961?**
The law's core purpose is to regulate archaeological and prehistoric monuments in Brazil. Its digest states it "DISPÕE SOBRE OS MONUMENTOS ARQUEOLOGICOS E PRE-HISTORICOS," meaning it establishes the legal framework for their protection, management, and study.

**What specific regulatory areas does this law cover?**
The law addresses six key regulatory subjects: it sets time limits ("Prazo") for related activities, mandates a national register ("Registro") of sites, requires official authorization ("Autorização") for interventions, governs international transfer ("Transferencia") of artifacts, controls extraction or exploration ("Exploração") activities, and regulates relations with the "rest of the world" ("Exterior") concerning these monuments.

**Who enacted this law and when?**
The law was enacted and promulgated on July 26, 1961, by the Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, specifically during the administration of President Jânio Quadros. It was published in the official gazette in Brasília.

**How can the full, official text of this law be accessed?**
The complete, official text of Law No. 3924/1961 is available digitally at the URL https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3924.htm, which is part of the Brazilian federal government's official legislation portal. Its stable digital identifier is the LexML Brazil ID `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924`.

**What type of legal instrument is Law No. 3924/1961 classified as?**
It is classified as a **statute**, which is a formal written document that creates law. In knowledge systems, it is an instance of the "statute" class, a subclass of written works, documents, and rules that manifests statutory law.

## Why It Matters
Law No. 3924/1961 is a foundational piece of legislation for the protection of Brazil's cultural heritage, specifically its archaeological and prehistoric legacy. It matters because it created the first comprehensive national legal framework to govern the discovery, excavation, registration, and international movement of archaeological artifacts and sites. By establishing mandatory registration and authorization processes, it aimed to prevent the illicit trafficking of Brazil's ancient heritage and ensure that scientific exploration was conducted under state supervision. The law's provisions on "extraction" and "transfer" directly address the preservation of artifacts within Brazil and control their export, which was critical for a country with vast and diverse pre-colonial history. Its existence signifies Brazil's early commitment, in the early 1960s, to codifying the protection of its material past, influencing subsequent cultural heritage legislation and aligning with international trends in archaeology and museum ethics. It provides the legal basis for state authority over archaeological patrimony, a matter of national identity and historical knowledge.

## Notable For
- **Specific Regulatory Focus:** It is notably a dedicated statute for "monumentos arqueológicos e pré-históricos," a precise and early focus on archaeological heritage in Brazilian federal law.
- **Multi-Aspect Governance:** The law is notable for its comprehensive regulatory approach, simultaneously addressing time limits, registration, authorization, international transfer, extraction, and foreign relations ("Exterior") concerning archaeological sites.
- **Digital Legacy:** It holds a specific LexML Brazil identifier (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924`), ensuring its stable, machine-readable access in Brazil's digital legal infrastructure.
- **Historical Context:** Enacted in 1961 under President Jânio Quadros, it represents a specific moment in Brazil's cultural policy development prior to the 1988 Constitution's stronger heritage provisions.
- **WikiProject Recognition:** Its inclusion on the focus list of WikiProject Brazilian Laws highlights its significance as a key statute for collaborative knowledge curation on Brazilian legislation.

## Body

### Legislative Identity and Metadata
Law No. 3924 of July 26, 1961, is formally titled "Lei nº 3924, de 26 de julho de 1961." Its official publication occurred in Brasília on the date of its enactment. The law was approved and promulgated by the **Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil**, with **Jânio Quadros** serving as the determining head of state at the time of promulgation. It is a **federal statute** of Brazil, applying to the entire national jurisdiction. The law is written in **Brazilian Portuguese** and its standard legal citation format is **"Lei nº 3924/1961"**. Its official, citable text is hosted at the URL `https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/1950-1969/l3924.htm` on the Brazilian government's official legislation portal (Planalto). In structured data systems, it is identified by the LexML Brazil persistent identifier `urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924`.

### Regulatory Scope and Subject Matter
The law's digest explicitly states its purpose: "DISPÕE SOBRE OS MONUMENTOS ARQUEOLOGICOS E PRE-HISTORICOS" (Regulates archaeological and prehistoric monuments). Its regulatory scope is defined by six core subjects, each with a specific Portuguese term as recorded in knowledge bases:
1.  **Time Limit ("Prazo"):** The law establishes temporal regulations, likely setting deadlines for reporting discoveries, completing excavations, or processing authorization requests.
2.  **Register ("Registro"):** It mandates the creation and maintenance of an official national register or inventory of archaeological and prehistoric monuments and sites.
3.  **Authorization ("Autorização"):** The law requires prior official permission for any intervention, excavation, or research activity on protected archaeological sites.
4.  **Rest of the World ("Exterior"):** It contains provisions governing interactions, agreements, or legal considerations with foreign entities or governments regarding Brazilian archaeological heritage.
5.  **Extraction ("Exploração"):** The law regulates the act of extraction, exploration, or excavation of archaeological materials and sites, likely defining permitted methods, scientific requirements, and responsible parties.
6.  **Transfer ("Transferencia"):** It sets rules for the transfer, movement, or potential export of archaeological artifacts and materials, both within Brazil and internationally.

### Classification and Conceptual Context
Within legal and knowledge organization systems, Law No. 3924/1961 is classified as an **instance of a "statute"**. This places it within the broader class of formal written documents that create law, encompassing acts, executive orders, and by-laws. As a statute, it is a manifestation of statutory law and is composed of legal norms. Its subject matter—archaeological monuments—falls under the broader domains of cultural heritage, history, and anthropology. The law is recognized as a specific "Brazilian law" in global knowledge bases and is curated as a significant item within **WikiProject Brazilian Laws**, indicating its importance for editors documenting Brazil's legislative corpus.

### Accessibility and Authority
The law's text is made publicly available through the official Brazilian government portal (Planalto), ensuring transparency and access to the legal norm. Its assignment of a **LexML Brazil ID** (`urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924`) integrates it into Brazil's structured data ecosystem for legislation, allowing for reliable machine-readable linking and citation. The legal citation "Lei nº 3924/1961" provides a standardized, concise reference for use in legal documents, academic works, and administrative processes. Its description as a "Brazilian law" in Wikidata and its focus within a Wikimedia project underscore its established presence in collaborative, multilingual knowledge resources.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.lexml.gov.br/urn/urn:lex:br:federal:lei:1961-07-26;3924)
2. [Source](https://legislacao.presidencia.gov.br/atos?tipo=LEI&numero=3924&ano=1961&data=26/07/1961&ato=041UTVE5keVRVTfc9)
3. LexML Brasil