artifacts

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "artifacts" is correct and is commonly used in written English.
It can be used to refer to historical or archaeological items such as tools, pottery, and jewelry. For example: Archaeologists carefully excavated the area, discovering many artifacts from a long-lost culture.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Unfortunately, unlike many other build systems, Travis doesn't include an integrated file store for your build output – only the console output is retained and it's up to you to save artifacts somewhere else.

The Guardian

Among the first artifacts recovered from the silt and sand clogging the inside of the submarine were buttons from the crewmen's uniforms.

The Guardian

Later came one of the most sought-after artifacts of the Hunley legend — a gold coin that had deflected a bullet and thus saved the life of Hunley commander lieutenant George Dixon at the battle of Shiloh.

The Guardian

Once it has completed, your artifacts should be available.

The Guardian

As part of open sourcing our scala-automation framework, we wanted to open the build and artifacts and put them in the cloud.

The Guardian

A new paper, "Possible artifacts of data biases in the recent global surface warming hiatus" just published today in Science deals with this issue.

The Guardian

Sensors will combine their skills with effectors, tiny devices that can manipulate matter, making it possible to create "smartifacts"—smart materials and intelligent artifacts.

The Economist

Danny Hillis, a pioneer of parallel computing and machine intelligence, fears the world has become stuck in a digital dark age, with few cultural artifacts from its digital past to point the way.

The Economist

Lacking cultural artifacts, society has no memory of what has gone before; no mechanism to learn from previous mistakes.

The Economist

And, spurred by the lunar ambitions of China, as well as by the prospect of visits by privately financed robotic spacecraft under Google's Lunar X Prize, NASA last year released a document requesting that any new visitors to the moon keep their distance from the Apollo landing sites, in order to "protect lunar historic artifacts".As for Mr Bezos's engines, they remain the property of NASA.

The Economist

The Americas section also looks at pockets of poverty in prosperous Canada, Mexico's flourishing tourist industry and a boon for Peru's: Yale University's announcement that it will return its collection of artifacts from Machu Picchu to their home country.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing collections, specify the type of "artifacts" (e.g., "ancient pottery artifacts", "digital artifacts", or "technological artifacts") to provide context and clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "artifacts" loosely to describe any object. Reserve it for items with historical, cultural, or technological significance, or that were created or modified by humans.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "artifacts" is as a plural noun. As confirmed by Ludwig, it refers to objects made or modified by humans, typically of historical or cultural interest.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

31%

News & Media

38%

Encyclopedias

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "artifacts" functions as a plural noun referring to objects of historical, cultural, or technological significance, as validated by Ludwig. Its usage spans across various fields including archaeology, history, and computer science. The term appears most frequently in news and media, as well as scientific contexts. To ensure correct application, reserve "artifacts" for items with human origin or modification, particularly those that offer insights into past civilizations or technologies. According to Ludwig, "artifacts" is grammatically sound and widely accepted in written English, making it a valuable term for precise and informative communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

historical relics

Focuses specifically on the historical nature and often the aged condition of the items.

archaeological finds

Specifically refers to items discovered through archaeological excavation.

cultural heritage objects

Emphasizes the cultural significance and value of the items.

ancient remnants

Highlights the age and surviving nature of the objects.

historical treasures

Implies the objects are valuable and historically significant.

material culture

A more academic term referring to the physical objects, resources, and spaces people use to define their culture.

ancient objects

A general term referring to objects from the past.

relics of the past

Similar to "historical relics" but can include a broader range of objects.

cultural items

A broad term encompassing any item related to a specific culture.

products

A general word referring to the results of a process.

FAQs

How can I use "artifacts" in a sentence?

You can use "artifacts" to refer to objects from the past that provide information about human history and culture. For example: "The museum's collection includes numerous ancient artifacts."

What's the difference between "artifacts" and "relics"?

"Artifacts" is a general term for objects made or modified by humans, whereas "relics" often implies a connection to a saint, holy person, or sacred event and are revered for their spiritual significance.

What are some synonyms for "artifacts"?

Some synonyms for "artifacts" include "relics", "remnants", "archaeological finds", and "cultural heritage objects", depending on the specific context.

In what fields is the term "artifacts" commonly used?

The term "artifacts" is commonly used in fields such as archaeology, anthropology, history, computer science (referring to digital artifacts), and art history.