Cultural artifacts: what are they?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Cultural artifact - what is it? It is understood as everything that is created by man and can convey information about the culture of its creator, as well as its users. It has its own varieties. Read more about the fact that this is a cultural artifact in the article.

Dictionary interpretation

To understand that this is a cultural artifact, one should learn the meaning of the noun included in it. Its interpretation is ambiguous.

The term "artifact" can mean, for example:

1. Object, phenomenon, process, properties inherent in an object or process, when their occurrence in natural observable conditions is unlikely or impossible.
2. What is created by a person or other intelligent being, including that generated by the mind (human or other).
3. In archeology, it is a creation of human hands, such as a tool, structure, dwelling, work of art, vessel, other object.
4. In science, an effect or phenomenon that a researcher brings to an experiment.
5. In histology, this is the name for artificial structures that are found whenmicroscopy in tissues as a result of improper tissue handling.
6. In computer games, those items that change the character's characteristics.

Among the above definitions, only the first two are included in the scope of today's consideration, since they are the only ones related to the term "cultural artifact".

Etymology

The word "artifact" came to Russian from Latin, where it looks like artefactum and consists of two parts. The first of these is arte, meaning "artificially". It is formed from the noun ars, which was previously written as artis, and denotes an occupation, craft, art, science. It goes back to the Proto-Indo-European noun arti, in the same meanings.

The second part of factum, means "action", "deed", "deed", "done". This noun comes from the verb facere, the meaning of which is "to make", "to produce". Goes back to the Proto-Indo-European verb dhe, meaning "to do", "to do".

Thus, literally, "artifact" means an object that is made artificially. That is, it is an object that is a product of human activity.

Cultural artifact

This is something that is created by people and conveys information about the culture inherent in its creators, as well as users. It can be any object created artificially, which is characterized by both certain physical parameters and symbolic, symbolic content. The term is used in the social sciences, such as anthropology, sociology, ethnology.

The term under consideration is a generalization of the other two concepts. The first of them is a social, and the second is an archaeological artifact. More about them will be discussed below.

Meaning

Cultural artifacts may include objects that are found during excavations or those that relate to objects of the present or the recent past. For example, for anthropologists, objects such as a piece of earthenware, an 18th-century lathe, or a TV set are a rich source of information about the time they were produced and used.

Ancient or current cultural artifacts matter because they can give insight into social culture, economic development, technological processes, among other things. There is a saying that they are to cultural evolution what genes are to biological evolution. Another of the sayings suggests that economic development can be seen as the evolution of human artifacts.

Classification

There is the following classification of the term under study.

1. Primary artifacts are those used in production, among them are a fork, a hammer, a camera, a lamp.
2. Secondary - those that are derived from the primary, this can be an instruction for camera users.
3. Tertiary - those that are seen as representing secondary ones, such as an artifact that looks like a sculpture of a camera manual.

Unlike archaeological artifacts, social artifacts do not always have a physical form, there are also virtual artifacts related to computer technology. Nor do they necessarily have historical value. These can be items created a few seconds ago. They may also qualify as social artifacts.

In archeology

In this area, an artifact is an object that has been subjected to directional mechanical impact in the past. He discovers the results of archaeological excavations carried out purposefully. Sometimes it is found in the process of single, random actions or events. Examples are:

• stone tools;
• weapons;
• jewelry;
• ceramics;
• bones with traces of human impact;
• various buildings of ancient cities, their details;
• coals of ancient fires.

After archaeological sites are found, they are studied, researched, and then published with photographs of artifacts attached. According to them, the historical past of all mankind is restored. Those of them that, from the point of view of art or science, are the most valuable, are shown at exhibitions and museums.

Terminology

In Russian literature, the term "artifact" is used relatively recently, being borrowed from English. He came to archeology and social sciences from medicine and biology. In parallel with him in the Russian-speakingLiterature uses the following synonymous terms:

1. "Material sources" - when it comes to artifacts that do not contain inscriptions. Otherwise, they are “written sources.”
2. "Objects of material culture". Culture here means a set of monuments belonging to the same era, territories that have common features.
3. "Archaeological sites" - used in a broader sense, denoting large objects and especially valuable artifacts.
4. "Archaeological finds", among which mass and individual stand out.