What is an Artifact?
Artifacts provide a record of people who did not leave written records. Artifacts from more recent cultures add context and evidence to enrich what we can learn from letters, books and other documents. Technically, anything made or used by humans is an artifact.
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Identification
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The word artifact comes from two Latin words--one means "to make" and the other means "with skill." Historical museums display collections of artifacts in exhibits designed to give visitors an understanding of another time or culture. Cultural anthropologists are especially involved with the study of artifacts, as are archeologists.
Significance
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By studying what materials, tools and techniques were needed to make the artifact, it is possible to deduce how advanced a society was. This information is added to whatever can be scientifically learned about the age of the artifact. Usually it takes many different artifacts from the same area or culture to build up a reliable picture of the culture. Where an artifact was found is as important to record as what it is and how old. When trade goods from as far away as the Rocky Mountains were discovered in Native American mounds in Cahokia, Ill., which predate 16th century European explorers, for example, it informs us that the native tribes knew and trafficked with each other.
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Features
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Suppose you wish to learn how French colonial people lived during the 18th century in the Mississippi River Valley. You could go to the Bolduc House Museum in Sainte Genevieve, Mo. This museum, in a fully restored French colonial house, was built around 1784 by Louis Bolduc. All of the furnishings are authentic. The museum also has a large collection of artifacts that have been found on the grounds after heavy rains. The museum's gardeners have found other artifacts. Some of these artifacts are fragments of pottery, some are arrowheads, while others are buttons.
Potential
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Each newly found artifact is carefully stored after the location where it was found has been documented. Since so many artifacts have been discovered after heavy rainfalls, the museum has been able to interest archeology professors from area colleges to dig on the museum grounds. They hope to unearth other artifacts that will add to what we already know about the people who lived there.
Expert Insight
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Many nations have laws that forbid artifacts from being removed. Many important archeological sites, like the Egyptian pyramids and the Babylonian tels, were stripped of important artifacts by tourists. In the United States, it is usually illegal to remove artifacts found on public land. When anything of value is found, the location is labeled using the Smithsonian Trinomial System. This number provides tracking information about the state, county and site number. It is a useful way to keep track of artifacts.
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