What is a cultural artifact? It means everything that is created by man and can transmit 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 must learn the meaning of the noun included in it. His interpretation is ambiguous.
The term "artifact" may mean, for example:
- An object, phenomenon, process, properties inherent in an object or process when their appearance under natural observable conditions is unlikely or impossible.
- That which is created by man or another rational being, including that generated by reason (human or otherwise).
- In archeology, this is the creation of human hands, such as an instrument of labor, construction, housing, a work of art, a vessel, another object.
- In science, this is an effect or phenomenon that a researcher brings to an experiment.
- In histology, this is the name for artificial structures that are detected by microscopy in tissues as a result of improper actions with tissue.
- In computer games - those items that change the characteristics of the character.
Among the above definitions, only the first two are included in the scope of today's consideration, since only they relate to the term “cultural artifact”.
Etymology
The word “artifact” came to the Russian language from Latin, where it looks like artefactum and consists of two parts. The first of these is arte, which means "artificially." It is formed from the noun ars, which used to be written as artis, and means occupation, craft, art, science. It goes back to the pre-Indo-European noun arti, in the same meaning.
The second part of factum, means "action", "act", "act", "done." This noun comes from the verb facere, the meaning of which is “to do”, “to produce”. It goes back to the pre-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 by artificial means, which is characterized by certain physical parameters, and symbolic, symbolic content. The term is used in social sciences, for example, such as anthropology, sociology, ethnology.
The term in question is generalizing to the other two concepts. The first of these is social, and the second is an archeological artifact. More about them will be discussed below.
Value
Cultural artifacts may include objects that were found during excavations or those that relate to objects of the present or the recent past. For example, for anthropologists such items as a piece of earthenware, an 18th-century lathe, a television set provide a rich source of information about the time when they were produced and used.
Ancient or current cultural artifacts are significant, because, among other things, they can give an idea of social culture, economic development, technological processes. There is a saying that for the evolution of culture they are the same as genes for biological evolution. Another of the statements suggests that economic development can be seen as the evolution of human artifacts.
Classification
There is the following classification of the studied term.
- Primary artifacts are those that are used in production, including a fork, a hammer, a camera, a lamp.
- Secondary - those that are derived from primary, such may be an instruction for camera users.
- Tertiary - those that are considered as representing secondary, for example, an artifact that looks like a sculpture of instructions for the camera.
Unlike archaeological artifacts, social ones do not always have a physical form, there are virtual artifacts related to computer technology. And also they do not necessarily have historical value. These can be items created a few seconds ago. They can also be qualified as social artifacts.
In archeology
In this area, an artifact is an object that in the past has been subjected to directional mechanical stress. He discovers the results of archaeological excavations conducted 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 exposure;
- various buildings of ancient cities, their details;
- coals of ancient bonfires.
After archaeological sites are found, they are studied, conducted research, and then published with photos of artifacts. They restore the historical past of all mankind. Those that, from the point of view of art or science, are the most valuable, are shown at exhibitions and in museums.
