archaeological artefact
Let an agent explain what an archaeological artefact is and why context matters, relay recording, ownership, export and reporting rules from heritage authorities, help identify object types in general terms, and route finds and valuations to the proper authority or museum.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain what an archaeological artefact is and why context matters, relay recording, ownership, export and reporting rules from heritage authorities, help identify object types in general terms, and route finds and valuations to the proper authority or museum.
An object made or modified by people in the past and recovered through archaeological work, such as a tool, vessel, ornament, weapon fragment or building element, whose meaning depends on the context in which it was found and which is recorded, conserved, studied and usually held by a museum or archive under heritage law.
What it is for: Not for anything today; evidence of past human activity.
It can be explain object types and dating methods; relay finds reporting and ownership rules; explain conservation and documentation; route a find or a valuation question to authorities.
Distinguishing features
Human origin, past date, archaeological recovery
Context of discovery is part of the evidence
Subject to heritage and ownership law
Documented, conserved and curated
What it looks like
Any human-made object from the past, often fragmentary, corroded or worn, labelled with a find number.
How it is recognised
Made or modified by people, recovered from a site or context
Carries a find number and context record
A natural object or a fossil is not an artefact; an ecofact is organic evidence
Related models
is a kind of - a human-made object of cultural value
is found at - where it comes from
is studied by - the discipline
is confused with - a natural remain, not a made object
In practice
Families and kinds
tools and weapons
pottery and vessels
ornaments and coins
architectural elements
organic objects such as textiles and wood
underwater and shipwreck finds
Identifiers
find or accession number institution specific links the object to its context record
site code and context number excavation specific recorded at recovery
Standards and regulation
National heritage and antiquities law on ownership and reporting of finds
UNESCO 1970 Convention on illicit trade in cultural property
Export licensing for cultural objects
Museum documentation and conservation standards
Failure modes and hazards
Loss of context through unrecorded digging
Looting and illicit trade
Deterioration without conservation
Fakes and misattribution
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Identify What the object is.
Type and context.
Type
Object type.
Type
Type.
- What kind of object is it, what is it made of, and what was it for? definition
- Is it a made object, a natural object or a modern item? boundary
Context
Find context.
Context
Context.
- Where and in what context was it found, and what does that tell us? provenance
- Which entry fits the site? action
Date and study Dating and analysis.
Methods settle claims.
Dating
Dating methods.
Dating
Dating.
- How is the object dated, by typology, stratigraphy or scientific methods, and with what uncertainty? measurement
- Which methods apply to this material? action
Analysis
Study.
Analysis
Analysis.
- What analyses reveal manufacture, use and origin? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Law Ownership and reporting.
Finds are regulated.
Reporting
Reporting a find.
Reporting
Reporting.
- What must a finder do under local law, and who owns the object? provenance
- Is the user asking about a specific find, which needs the heritage authority? boundary
Trade
Trade and export.
Trade
Trade.
- What rules govern sale, export and repatriation of artefacts? provenance
- Which entry fits cultural property law? action
Care Conservation and display.
Objects must survive.
Conservation
Conservation.
Conservation
Conservation.
- How are artefacts conserved, stored and documented, in general terms? provenance
- Which entry fits conservation science? action
Display
Museums and public.
Display
Display.
- How are artefacts displayed and interpreted, and how are communities of origin involved? provenance
- Are contested histories presented with attribution? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should object types be separate entries?
- How should finds reporting schemes be linked by country?
- How should provenance and ownership disputes be represented?