cultural artifacts
Society's tangible legacy
Cultural artifacts are objects created or modified by humans that reveal something about the society that produced them—tools, art, clothing, documents, buildings.
Archaeologists study ancient artifacts to understand past civilizations.
The term extends beyond physical objects to include intangible creations like language, rituals, or traditions: Jazz is a cultural artifact of African American experience.
In computing, artifacts are unintended byproducts of processing.
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
- antiquitiesHistorical objects from ages past
- heirloomsObjects passed through family lines
- potteryFired clay objects
- clay figurinesSmall shaped earthenware forms
totems · masks · textiles · scrolls · tapestries · idols · amulets · sacred objects · vessels · carvings · stone tablets · ruins · burial mound · treasures · sacred · museum · museum collection · excavation
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- cultural historyart history, music history, social history, collective memory, literary history
- cultural traditionsflamenco, tango, kabuki, hula, capoeira
- museum collectionsart collections, art collection, paintings, antiquities, exhibitions
- cultural artfolk art, indigenous art, tribal art, traditional crafts, sacred art
- exhibitsmuseum exhibit, science exhibit, interactive exhibit, dinosaur exhibit, space exhibit
cultural artifactsfossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
minerals · rocks · shells · flora and fauna · organic matter
cultural artifactsoral traditions
Culture transmitted through speech
rituals · customs · languages · performing arts · traditional skills
cultural artifactsconsumer goods
Products bought by individuals
cultural, culture, cultures, cultured, culturing, culturally, multicultural, intercultural, subcultural