ABSTRACT
Sweden is a part of the Scandinavian peninsula, which is dominated by forests and mountains, particularly to the north. In 1666 a regular heritage law followed, possibly the first at least in the Western world after the city of Rome's soon forgotten mediaeval laws on protection of the antique ruins. The Swedish law stated that nobody should be allowed to destroy old buildings, castles, forts, or cairns regardless of the size of their remains. Current heritage legislation shrewdly defines ancient monuments in a rather circular way as abandoned monuments from 'ancient times'. An ancient monument is not only a 'monument', it can also be something that is the result of an activity, such as, the remains of a settlement in the form of cultural layers. In 1920 the Government ruled that culturally valuable buildings owned by the state should be treated with respect for the cultural values.
