Artifact
/ˈɑːrtɪˌfækt/
nounB2
Definition
An artifact is a thing created or used by humans, often found from old times. These objects can be tools, art, or everyday items that tell us about how people lived long ago. They are important for studying history and understanding past cultures.
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See It in Action
A man-made object from the past used to study history or culture
- •The museum displayed ancient artifacts from Egypt.
- •Archaeologists found artifacts buried under the old city.
- •This artifact is a tool used by early humans to make fire.
(In technology/science) An error or unusual feature in data or images, not part of the real object
- •The blurry spots in the photo are artifacts caused by the camera lens.
- •Scientists removed artifacts from the data to get accurate results.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "artifact" like "thing," but a special old thing made by people long ago.
- ✓Picture a small, old clay pot or a stone tool found in the ground by archaeologists.
- ✓It's the feeling of discovering a treasure that tells a story about people from the past.
- ✓Sounds like "ART-uh-fact" → imagine a piece of art that is also a fact or proof from history.
- ✓Think of museums where you see old objects that show how people lived hundreds or thousands of years ago.
- ✓NOT like "natural object" (like a rock or tree that forms by nature), an artifact is made or changed by humans.
- ✓NOT like "document" (paper or writing), artifacts are physical objects you can touch.
- ✓NOT like "modern object" which is new; artifacts are usually old and historical.
Try Other Words
- •Relic: an old object from the past, often with religious or cultural importance (Use when emphasizing age or sacred meaning)
- •Antique: an old item valuable because of age or beauty (Use when the object is old and often collected or sold)
- •Item: a general word for a single thing (Use in casual or broad contexts)
- •Remnant: a small remaining part of something older (Use when focusing on what is left of something larger)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "arti-" (related to art or skill) + "fact" (made or done)
- •Etymology: From Latin "arte" (by skill) + "factum" (something made)
- •Historical development: Originally meant something made by skill or art, later used for historical objects found by archaeologists
- •Modern usage: Used mainly for old man-made objects important in history, but also for errors in scientific data or images
Reflect & Connect
•How can artifacts help us understand people who lived long ago without writing?
•What kinds of everyday objects today might become artifacts in the future?
Fill in the blanks
1.Archaeologists study artifacts because they ___ information about ancient cultures and people.
2.An artifact is different from a natural object because it is ___ by humans.
3.The museum's artifact collection includes tools, pottery, and ___ from past civilizations.
4.Sometimes, scientists find artifacts in data that are actually ___ caused by equipment, not real features.
5.A broken old tool found in the ground is an artifact because it was ___ by people long ago.
6.Unlike modern objects, artifacts usually come from ___ times.
7.When you see an artifact in a museum, you can ___ something about the history of the place it came from.