Artefactual

Artefactual is an adjective derived from artefact, used to describe things related to artifacts or shaped by artifacts. In English, artefact (British) and artifact (American) refer to objects made or modified by humans, and artefactual describes qualities, data, or evidence associated with such objects. The term appears in scholarly writing across disciplines, with slightly different emphases depending on context.

In archaeology and anthropology, artefactual evidence comprises material remains—tools, pottery, inscriptions, and other objects—that researchers study to interpret past behavior, technologies, and cultures. Artefactual analysis emphasizes how objects illuminate social practices, trade networks, and daily life, often in conjunction with other forms of evidence such as ecofacts and features.

In museum studies and curatorial practice, artefactual material concerns objects within collections, including their provenance, conservation, interpretation, and display. The term helps distinguish between intangible or non-material sources of knowledge and the tangible, physical remnants under study or stewardship.

In the social sciences and data-oriented disciplines, artefactual data or artefactual bias refers to findings that are influenced by artifacts of measurement, instrumentation, sampling, or procedural design rather than by the phenomenon being investigated. In this sense, addressing artefactual issues is important for ensuring valid inferences.

Because artefactual can overlap with everyday usage of artefacts, its precise meaning is context-dependent and guided by disciplinary conventions. See also artifact, artefact, material culture, and artifact studies.