Kulturmaterial

Kulturmaterial is a term used in archaeology, anthropology, and related disciplines to denote the physical remains produced, modified, or used by humans. It encompasses the tangible remnants of past cultures, including artifacts such as pottery, tools, and ornaments, as well as non-portable features like hearths, pits, and architectural traces, and ecofacts such as seeds, pollen, and bones. Together these elements constitute the material record that researchers study to interpret past societies, economies, technologies, social organization, mobility, and belief systems.

Components of kulturmaterial include artifacts, features, and ecofacts. Artifacts are portable objects; features are non-portable traces of activity; ecofacts are natural materials with cultural relevance. Assemblages and typologies, spatial distribution, and sources of raw materials help reconstruct chronology, exchange, and craft traditions. Dating methods range from relative techniques like stratigraphy and typology to absolute methods such as radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology.

Interpreting kulturmaterial involves analyzing function and use-wear, manufacturing techniques, and provenance. It yields insights into diet and subsistence, technology, trade networks, social hierarchy, ritual, and daily life. The material record also underpins heritage management, museology, conservation, and ethical practices in excavation and display.

Usage and context: The term is common in German-language scholarship and in some Nordic languages, including Swedish, where it may be used alongside English terms like material culture. In English-language contexts, equivalents such as material culture or the material record are frequently used to describe the same concept.