provenance
Where it's from
Provenance is the origin or source of something, particularly its history of ownership or custody.
The term appears most often in discussions of art, antiques, and manuscripts, where establishing provenance helps verify authenticity and value: The painting's provenance traces back to a Florentine merchant in 1642.
In computing, data provenance tracks where information came from and how it was processed.
Point of origin
- birthplaceLocation of one's birth
- genesisPoint of creation
- inceptionFounding moment
- cradleRocking bed for infants
fountainhead · beginning · emergence · roots · foundation · dawn · commencement · outset
Formal written attestation
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- verificationProving something accurate
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
- genuineTruly what it claims
originality · validity · integrity · certifiable · verifiable · bona fide · unaltered · unforged
Study of family descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- descentDownward slope or lineage
ancestors · forebears · progenitors · forefathers · parentage · kinship · clan · family
Ordered historical record
- recordPreserved account or achievement
- archiveStored historical records
- pastTime already gone
- timelineOrdered display of events
antiquity · legacy · heritage · annals · chronology · era · epoch · relic
Documented evidence handling sequence
- supply chainProduct delivery infrastructure
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
- audit trailChronological record of transactions
source verification · transparency · serialization · certification · compliance · monitoring · record keeping · quality control
Act of unearthing
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- remainsContinues in place
looting · antiquities · repatriation · illicit trade · colonial legacy · indigenous rights · cultural heritage · context
source
Point of origin
- birthplaceLocation of one's birth
- genesisPoint of creation
- inceptionFounding moment
cradle · fountainhead · beginning · emergence · roots · foundation · dawn · commencement · outset · rise
certificate
Formal written attestation
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
- verificationProving something accurate
- legitimacyLawful or rightful status
genuine · originality · validity · integrity · certifiable · verifiable · bona fide · unaltered · unforged · attribution
genealogy
Study of family descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- lineageDescent from progenitors
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
descent · ancestors · forebears · progenitors · forefathers · parentage · kinship · clan · family · roots
chronicle
Ordered historical record
timeline · antiquity · legacy · heritage · annals · chronology · era · epoch · relic · artifact
chain of custody
Documented evidence handling sequence
- supply chainProduct delivery infrastructure
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
audit trail · source verification · transparency · serialization · certification · compliance · monitoring · record keeping · quality control · barcode
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
remains · looting · antiquities · repatriation · illicit trade · colonial legacy · indigenous rights · cultural heritage · context · field notes
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- authorshipauthorship, author bio, byline, attributed, credited
- museumsmuseums, art museums, exhibits, galleries, exhibitions
- museum termspaintings, sculptures, exhibits, gallery, artifacts
- originsbeginning, birth, creation, source, roots
- archaeologyexcavation, dig site, archaeologist, dig, archaeological digs
provenancedestination
Intended arrival point
end · terminus · ending · conclusion · outcome
provenanceanonymity
Unknown identity state
obscurity · mystery · inauthenticity · rootlessness · forgery
- provenance recordsRecords tracking ownership history
- provenance studiesResearch into objects' origins