Learn about what an artifact is. An artifact is ... Types of artifacts Mysterious ancient artifacts - the secret of millennia

Or some single, sometimes random event. Examples of artifacts are stone tools, jewelry, weapons, ceramics, buildings and their details, coals of an ancient fire, bones with traces of human impact, etc. Artifacts are studied by archaeologists who excavate archaeological sites, research and publish finds and results of excavations and restore according to these data, the historical past of mankind. Artifacts valuable from the point of view of science or art are displayed in museums and at exhibitions.

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5 Ancient Artifacts That Shouldn't Exist

Archaeologists of the Caucasus find unique artifacts

Ancient Rus': archeology, mythology, language, state

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Hello, friends. There are still many secret and unsolved things on our planet. So, archaeologists and scientists from all over the world regularly stumble upon finds that simply do not fit in their heads. Now you will see 5 real ancient artifacts that simply should not exist in our reality. 5. Surprising tomb finds This strikingly clock-like object was discovered in 2008 in a Ming Dynasty tomb. He lay there for about 500 years. At first, archaeologists thought it was a ring, but it turned out to be a tiny gold chronometer. It is alleged that on its back was the inscription Swiss (Swiss), which means "Swiss". The question arises: how did the tomb of the Ming dynasty, which existed from the 14th to the 17th century, end up with a clock that could not have been produced before the 18th century? Ring watches gained popularity in Europe as early as the late 1700s. But in China, in the Ming era, no one could know about them. At the same time, the clock was found exactly inside the coffin itself. How could they end up in an ancient tomb? The most absurd version is that this ring watch was lost by time travelers. Also, some associate this strange find with grave robbers. In addition, there are theories linking this find with the Knights Templar, who are rumored to have been one of the founders of Switzerland. Whatever it was, the real truth remains unknown. 4. Figurine "Nampa" In 1889, in the city of Nampa, Idaho, workers, while drilling a well at a depth of 97 meters, discovered a skillfully made figurine. It was found under layers of ancient soil, basalt, clay and sand. The composition of the soil in which it was found suggests that this figurine is about 2 million years old. In addition, studies were carried out on iron oxides, which were found at that depth in the clay and on the figurine itself. They turned out to be almost identical, which may indicate the correct age of the figurine. It is believed that only modern man, who has existed for about 300 thousand years, could make such a figurine. However, 2 million years ago, such people simply did not exist on our planet. Who then create this figurine? So far, this question has not been answered. 3. Ceramic head This ceramic head was found in 1933 in Mexico and is known as the terracotta head from Caliztlahuac. It is part of a full-fledged figurine, and the style of its execution is very close to the ancient Roman origin. With the help of special tests, it was found that this part of the figurine dates back to the second century AD. Surprisingly, it does not resemble any form of ancient pre-Columbian culture in the Americas. This artifact was located under the untouched layers of the excavation, in an ancient burial, which is already more than 500 years old. Given that the burial was built before the Europeans discovered America, archaeologists still cannot explain how this head from the statuette could have ended up there. 2. Stone with a fork This strange stone was accidentally found in 1998 by engineer John Williams. An incomprehensible plug was found in a stone made of feldspar and quartz, similar to those that modern mankind uses to connect various devices to the network. With the help of high-power X-rays, it was found that the components of the fork also spread inside the stone. According to Williams, he found this stone in an area remote from civilization, where there are no cities, industrial complexes, power plants and other modern objects nearby. In addition, such a stone has been formed for hundreds of years, so the fact that it could be the result of the activity of a modern person is absolutely excluded. According to analyzes, the age of the stone is about 100 thousand years. Many experts racked their brains, but could not explain the origin of this mysterious stone with a fork. 1. Aluminum Artifact from Ayuda In 1974, Romanian workers working in a sand pit discovered the fossils of a mastodon. A strange wedge-shaped aluminum object was found under the bones of an ancient animal. After the first analyzes, this artificially made object led scientists into bewilderment. The artifact consists of 89% aluminum with impurities of cadmium, nickel, zinc and other elements. Such pure aluminum does not occur naturally. At the same time, the technologies for the industrial production of this metal were mastered only in the 19th century. complex shape with holes, as well as signs of wear and mechanical damage, indicate that this artifact was actively used and was part of some unknown aggregate. Considering that this piece of aluminum was found under the fossils of an ancient animal, this artifact could be at least 11,000 years old, around the time the last mastodons died out. Where did this strange object come from and what was it used for? A certain group of people immediately assumed the alien origin of the artifact. Others believe that this item was created by a progressive ancient civilization. However, the real truth is still unknown. Even more strange is the fact that this artifact is now hidden and not available for further research. Thanks for watching, friends. Subscribe to the Vuz channel and see you soon in new videos.

Terminology

Word artifact in Russian-language literature is used relatively recently and is a borrowing from in English(English artifact, artefact), which in turn comes from lat. ars (artificial) + lat. factum (done). The term penetrated into primitive archeology, and then into other branches of archeology from biology and medicine. Also in the Russian-language literature, the following equivalent terms were used or are used to name artifacts:

• material sources. When using this term, it is usually understood that we are talking about artifacts that do not contain any inscriptions. Artifacts containing writings are called "written sources".
• items material culture . Here the word "culture" is used in the same sense as in the term archaeological culture.
• archaeological sites. This term has a broader meaning, and larger objects are also referred to as archaeological sites, such as, for example, an ancient settlement as a whole. archaeological sites most often called particularly valuable artifacts.
• archaeological finds. Among them stand out individual finds and mass finds.

The use of the term artifact in archeology in general cannot be considered acceptable due to its semantics. It is a priori obvious that almost all archaeological finds are made by man. The term is used only in cases where the alternative of the origin of the object is decided between objects of natural origin and objects made by man. When evidence is given that an item was made by a human, the item is considered an artifact.

Archeology is an amazing science that opens up before modern man secrets of past millennia. The work of scientists in this area is to search for material traces left by ancient civilizations. An object found by archaeologists during excavations is called an “artifact”. This is any artificially created object that has a symbolic meaning.

Artifact types

We used to understand this name as priceless antiquities found by archaeologists or treasure seekers. In fact, an artifact is a very broad concept, covering different areas. Let's look at some of the meanings of this word.

If we take archeology, here ancient artifacts act as objects found during excavations and created by man. It can be tools, weapons, jewelry, dishes, processed bone and even coals from a fire once lit by ancient people.

In culture, an artifact is an object created by man and having a special meaning. However, it may not only be material object but also folklore, superstition or scientific theories.

This word is well known to fans of computer games. In them, an artifact is a unique thing that cannot be created, but can only be found. It usually has special properties or possesses magic.

Out of place artifacts

This term was introduced to refer to finds that go beyond certain limits. For example, they are found where they should not be, or cause distrust due to the lack of our knowledge of the technologies of ancient civilizations. Inappropriate artifacts include: the Antikythera mechanism (which will be discussed separately), the iron column in Delhi, giant statues on Easter Island and many other unusual finds.

Among the artifacts there are also fakes. The famous crystal skulls, allegedly carved by an ancient civilization from a single piece of precious rock, turned out to be a skillful imitation. Studies of several of the 13 skulls found to date have shown that they were made in the 19th and 20th centuries using modern technology.

Where can you see archaeological finds?

Ancient artifacts, which are recognized by scientists as the most valuable and interesting, end up in museums and then put on display for visitors. The rest of the items are in storerooms or scientific institutes.

Mysterious ancient artifacts - the secret of millennia

Sometimes archaeological finds baffle scientists. There are thousands of such examples. Near the city of Belgrade, letters were found that were called the Vinca alphabet. They date back to 6000 BC. So far they have not been able to decipher them, and scientists doubt that this will be possible in the near future.

In 1901, in Greece, among the wreckage of a sunken ancient ship, an unusual object was found, consisting of gears, scales and dials. It was possible to establish the date of manufacture of this mechanism - approximately 85 BC.

If we compare this ancient artifact with instruments of a later time, it corresponds to the technical level of the 8th century. How this mechanism was created more than two thousand years ago and for what purposes (it was called Antikythera) is not exactly known. The device has been reconstructed by several specialists in the field of mechanics. They are convinced that it served to simulate the motion of the Sun, Moon and planets.

Where to find the artifact and what to do with the find

Find ancient treasure- the dream of almost every person. With the advent of metal detectors, the search for antiquities has become much easier. At all times, there were groups or individuals who searched for artifacts at the archaeological site. These days they are called "black archaeologists" or "diggers". They act for personal interests and for the purpose of enrichment. The artifacts found do not end up in museums, but in private collections. Acting unprofessionally, "black archaeologists" during the search often destroy priceless antiquities.

It should be remembered that the artifacts found, which have a special cultural value, belong to the state. To avoid possible problems with the law, it is better to take the find to the museum, where experts will give an opinion on this subject. If it is of no value to science, its value is divided between the finder and the owner of the land on whose plot the artifact was discovered.

from lat. artefactum - artificially made) - any artificial object, object of culture; physical object; idea or image; technology; form of behavior and relationships; grade.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

ARTIFACT (from lat. - artificially made)

In the usual sense, any artificially created object; in cultural studies, this concept came from archeology, where it was used to distinguish between natures. and arts. objects.

In aesthetics, the term is used etymologically, i.e. directly to refer to objects created specifically to function in the system of art. In the interpretation of the institutional school in aesthetics, any real object can act as A. in the appropriate environment (in particular, D. Dickey thinks so in Art and Aesthetics: An Introduction to Institutional Analysis, 1974). In this case, A. means any object that is an artist. work. In modern aesthetics, a distinction is usually made between A. and art. work. A., as a rule, has a material embodiment and is the carrier of the definition. artistic meanings. Structuralists also distinguish between A. and aesthetic. an object. Here A. acts as a kind of "external symbol" (Mukarzhovsky) of an aesthetic object.

Ate. time, due to the increased interest in the problem of shared representations as cultural objects, the concept of A. began to be developed more actively. Some culturologists understand by A. any art, education, both physical and ideational, created for functioning in a specialty. spheres of cultures and systems. A. is distinguished as an elementary unit of the arts, the world, which is all the more relevant, because. there is still no "theory of art. object". In this case, A. allows you to see from a single point of view. dec. objects of culture as "made" wholes (eg installations); trace their generation, existence and destruction, their unification into certain functional and symbolic. patterns and forms, integral cultural contexts, semantic. fields.

A. has three bases. its constituent elements: psychoanalytic. (establishes a connection between A. and anthropopol. motivation), structural (reveals a communicative-functional dominant) and hermeneutic (defines the horizons of understanding and interpretation).

A. functions in a cultural-semantic environment. fields (eg, lit-ry), a cut constitutes A. and determines its material carrier. A. polysemantic and therefore is an abstract carrier of cultural semantics, which manifests itself in different ways in decomp. contexts of use (for example, the transcultural image of Don Quixote).

To the main The modalities of the existence of A. can be attributed to: material (a form of objectification of an artificial object), functional (the sum of modifications in its use); semantic (its meanings, meanings, value in the contexts of sociocultural communication).

Lit.: Berdyaev N.A. Man and machine (Problem of sociology and metaphysics of technology) // VF. 1989. No. 2; Mumford L. The myth of the machine // Vestn. Moscow university Ser. 12. Socio-polite, research. 1992. No. 1; New technocratic Wave in the West: Sat. texts. M., 1986; Espinoza Server A. Who is a man? Philos. anthropology // This is a man: An anthology. M., 1995.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

ARTIFACT

ARTIFACT

(from lat. - artificially made) in the usual sense, any artificially created object; in cultural studies, this concept came from archeology, where it was used to distinguish between natures. and arts. objects.

In aesthetics, the term is used etymologically, i.e. directly to refer to objects created specifically to function in the system of art. In the interpretation of the institutional school in aesthetics, any real object can act as A. in the appropriate environment (in particular, D. Dickey thinks so in his work “Art and Aesthetics: An Introduction to Institutional Analysis”, 1974). In this case, A. means any object that is an artist. work. In modern aesthetics, a distinction is usually made between A. and art. work. A., as a rule, has a material embodiment and is the carrier of the definition. artistic meanings. Structuralists also distinguish between A. and aesthetic. an object. Here A. acts as a kind of “external symbol” (Mukarzhovsky) aesthetic object.

Ate. time, due to the increased interest in the problem of shared ideas as cultural objects, the concept of A. began to be developed more actively. Some culturologists understand by A. any art, education, both physical and ideational, created for functioning in a specialty. spheres of cultures and systems. A. is distinguished as an elementary unit of the arts, the world, which is all the more relevant, because. there is still no "theory of arts". object". In this case, A. allows you to see from a single point of view. dec. objects of culture as “made” wholes (e.g. installations); trace their generation, existence and destruction, their unification into certain functional and symbolic. patterns and forms, integral cultural contexts, semantic. fields.

A. has three bases. its constituent elements: psychoanalytic. (establishes a connection between A. and anthropopol. motivation), structural (reveals a communicative-functional dominant) and hermeneutic (determines the horizons of understanding and interpretation).

A. functions in a cultural-semantic environment. fields (e.g. liters), which constitutes A. and determines its material carrier. A. polysemantic and therefore is an abstract carrier of cultural semantics, which manifests itself in different ways in decomp. contexts of use (e.g. transcultural image of Don Quixote).

To the main modalities of the existence of A. can be attributed: material (a form of objectification of an artificial object), functional (sum of modifications when using it); semantic (its meanings, meanings, value in the contexts of socio-cultural communication).

Lit.: Berdyaev N.A. Man and machine (Problem of sociology and metaphysics of technology) // VF. 1989. No. 2; Mumford L. The myth of the machine // Vestn. Moscow university Ser. 12. Socio-polite, research. 1992. No. 1; New technocratic Wave in the West: Sat. texts. M., 1986; Espinoza Server A. Who is a man? Philos. anthropology // This is a man: An anthology. M., 1995.

A. B. Krasnoglazoe

Culturology. XX century. Encyclopedia. 1998 .

Artifact

(from Latin are - craft, art and factum - made) In modern aesthetics and art history, this term is used to generically designate works contemporary art, as a rule, going beyond traditional genres and types, products of modern art practices, art projects. The term came into aesthetics from archeology, where it refers to any artificially created objects. A., as a rule, refers to all kinds of visual and audiovisual spatial objects, installations, assemblages, actions, etc. V. Bychkov, in the system of his non-classical aesthetics, uses the term A. in opposition to the term "artephenomenon". By the latter, it denotes works of avant-garde art (see: Vanguard) of the 20th century, included in the field of Culture; and the term A. - any works of contemporary art belonging to the field of POST-culture (see: POST-). According to this classification, A. are typical experimental products of the transitional stage of culture, with practically no spiritual, aesthetic or artistic value. Their significance is outside the traditional semantic and cultural fields, to some extent is still hermetic and will be more fully illuminated by the science of the future.

Lexicon of non-classics. Artistic and aesthetic culture of the XX century.. V.V. Bychkov. 2003 .

Artifact

(lat. artefactum arte - artificially + factus - made)

in the usual sense, any artificially created object, product human activity. In cultural studies, it is a carrier of socio-cultural information, vital meanings, a means of communication.

any artificially made object, an object of culture in the three main areas of its existence: material culture, spiritual culture, human relations.

a process or formation that is not characteristic of an object in its normal state and usually occurs in the course of its study. In culture, any artificially created object that has both certain physical characteristics and a sign or symbolic content.

☼ in the usual sense, any artificially created object; in cultural studies, this concept came from archeology, where it was used to distinguish between natures. and arts. objects.

In aesthetics, the term is used etymologically, i.e. directly to refer to objects created specifically to function in the system of art. In the interpretation of the institutional school in aesthetics, any real object can act as A. in the appropriate environment (in particular, D. Dickey thinks so in Art and Aesthetics: An Introduction to Institutional Analysis, 1974). In this case, A. means any object that is an artist. work. In modern aesthetics, a distinction is usually made between A. and art. work. A., as a rule, has a material embodiment and is the carrier of the definition. artistic meanings. Structuralists also distinguish between A. and aesthetic. an object. Here A. acts as a kind of “external symbol” (Mukarzhovsky) of an aesthetic object.

In last time, due to the increased interest in the problem of shared ideas as cultural objects, the concept of A. began to be developed more actively. Some culturologists understand A. any art. education, both physical and ideational, designed to function in a specialized spheres of cultures and systems. A. is distinguished as an elementary unit of the arts, the world, which is all the more relevant, because. there is still no "theory of arts". object". In this case, A. allows you to see from a single point of view. dec. objects of culture as “made” wholes (eg installations); trace their generation, existence and destruction, their unification into certain functional and symbolic. patterns and forms, integral cultural contexts, semantic. fields.

A. has three bases. its constituent elements: psychoanalytic. (establishes a connection between A. and anthropopol. motivation), structural (reveals a communicative-functional dominant) and hermeneutic (defines the horizons of understanding and interpretation).

A. functions in a cultural-semantic environment. fields (eg, lit-ry), a cut constitutes A. and determines its material carrier. A. polysemantic and therefore is an abstract carrier of cultural semantics, which manifests itself in different ways in decomp. contexts of use (for example, the transcultural image of Don Quixote).

To the main The modalities of the existence of A. can be attributed to: material (a form of objectification of an artificial object), functional (the sum of modifications in its use); semantic (its meanings, meanings, value in the contexts of sociocultural communication).

Lit.: Berdyaev N.A. Man and machine (Problem of sociology and metaphysics of technology) // VF. 1989. No. 2; Mumford L. The myth of the machine // Vestn. Moscow university Ser. 12. Socio-polit. research. 1992. No. 1; New technocratic Wave in the West: Sat. texts. M., 1986; Espinoza Server A. Who is a man? Philos. anthropology // This is a man: An anthology. M., 1995.

A. B. Krasnoglazov.

Cultural studies of the twentieth century. Encyclopedia. M.1996

Big Dictionary in cultural studies.. Kononenko B.I. . 2003 .

See what "ARTIFACT" is in other dictionaries:

Artifact ... Spelling Dictionary

artifact- (from lat. artefactum artificially made) a fact that is not characteristic of the natural course of this process and artificially caused. In experimental psychology, A. means data generated by the very methodology for studying the process and on ... Great Psychological Encyclopedia

Artifact- (lat. artefactus zhasandy іstelgen) tabigylyktan thousand, koldan zhasalgan nәrse, madeniyettіn zhemisi. Artifact of retinde tek denelik belgileri emes, sonymen birge tanbalyk, ramizdik mazmuny bar kez kelgen zhasandy narse karastyrylan alada. Madeni… … Philosophical terminderdin sozdigі

- [Dictionary foreign words Russian language

- (from Latin artefactum artificially made) ..1) an object made, made by a person2)] A process or formation that is not normal for the object under study and usually occurs in the course of its study. For example, when fixing a histological ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

- (from Latin artefactum artificially made) an experimental result arising from deviations in the conduct of the experiment or from defects in the methodology itself. In particular, the results may be disturbed by the action on the subject of suggestion ... Psychological Dictionary

At first glance, the question of what an artifact is is related to archeology and literature. Artifacts appear in historical descriptions, fantasy, quests and horror films. But, in fact, the meaning of this term is much broader.

What is an artifact

The word comes from the Latin artefactum, which translates as "artificially made." This means that only non-natural objects, phenomena, processes can be attributed to artifacts. This is everything that is obtained as a result of the material or spiritual activity of a person. That is, when answering the question of what an artifact is, we mean not only objects, but also the expressed thought, public organization, the message sent. Each artifact has not only a material expression, but also a semantic content.

In science, culture and entertainment

If we are talking about culture, then an artifact can be called works of art, various superstitions, works of man-made objects. In science, it is the result of an experiment influenced by unforeseen factors. A unique formula is what an artifact is in mathematics. In document science, this concept denotes various effects that are not related to the content of the document: spots, drawings, etc.

This term exists even in psychiatry. There, the artifact of the clinic is the inadequate actions of patients who find themselves in an incomprehensible or new situation for them. In computer role-playing online games, artifacts are rare things that give the player power and other advantages.

Artifacts of history

Scientists distinguish several groups related to the past of human civilization. Artifacts in the culture of the ancients are objects that have symbolic meaning. Paleoartifacts or unidentified fossil objects are things created by someone before the rise of Homo sapiens. Based on such findings, some researchers put forward numerous hypotheses about the origin and history of our planet. From the point of view of traditional science, unidentified objects are still not artificial, but natural formations, very similar to man-made objects.

In the 20th century, the writer and scientist Ivan Terence Sanderson coined the word out-of-place artifact, which means "out of place artifact." This is the name of objects and objects found in unusual places and forcing scientists to puzzle over their origin and purpose.

Where did the parallelepiped come from?

At the end of the 19th century in Austria, miners found a strange metal object in a piece of coal. correct form, which was named after the place of discovery. A pair of opposite sides of it were rounded, and four other sides were marked with a deep incision. Ufologists tend to consider this find a gift from extraterrestrial civilizations. Traditional science declares it to be an element of an ancient mining winch.

Mysterious Spheres

In Africa, unusual balls with regular grooves encircling the circumference were discovered. They were dubbed the Klerksdorp balls. At first glance, they are made of metal by the hand of a sentient being. But scientists have found that mysterious artifacts of the past are composed of the mineral hematite and are of natural origin.

Mysterious footprints

In the US, geologists have found well-preserved traces of human sandals in sandstone that could have been left 250 million years ago, while modern science claims that the age of mankind is no more than 5 million years. Scientists reject the fact that these are human footprints. They claim that this is just a similar "pattern" on natural geological rocks.

Impeccable Designs

Could own technologies, the age of which is determined by scientists as much later. An example of this is a mechanism raised from the bowels of an ancient sunken ship near the Greek island of Antikythera. The object is an astronomical gear calendar created around 100 BC. e. Scientists were struck by perfection, because until now such inventions were known more late period(6th century AD), which are much more primitive than the found calendar. This fact indicates, in particular, that modern science does not always rightly evaluate the intelligence and technical capabilities of our ancestors.

How to find them

People who are keen on searching for mysterious objects can find them anywhere. Surveys of geologists are also fertile places for this. Traveling to places where a human foot has not set foot (or has stepped very rarely) can also be the answer to the question of where to find the artifact. Well, for the seekers magic items V computer game it is possible to advise communication with their numerous "colleagues". There are always advanced users who have found dozens of magic wands.