artefactsimilar

Artefactsimilar is a term used in archaeology and heritage informatics to refer to artifacts that share substantial similarity across one or more dimensions, including form, function, raw material, manufacturing technique, decoration, or archaeological context. The concept is used to group objects into classes, identify production traditions, and trace connections among communities. In practice, artefactsimilar describes the outcome of typological, stylistic, or compositional comparisons that reveal coherent patterns within an assemblage or corpus.

Researchers examine artefact similarity by several methods. Typological analysis classifies objects by observable characteristics such as shape, decoration, or wear. Morphometric analysis uses quantitative shape measurements to assess similarity. Material and compositional data from spectroscopy or isotopic analysis provide another basis for similarity. In digital contexts, artefactsimilar is operationalized as a similarity network or clustering of items, where edges reflect measured likeness and can be used to infer production centers, trade links, or shared techniques.

Applications include building curatorial catalogs, supporting dating and provenance studies, and enabling large-scale comparative studies across regions or periods. Limitations include subjectivity in feature selection, preservation bias, incomplete records, and the risk of over-interpreting convergent features as evidence of direct connection.

See also: artifact typology, morphometrics, and object similarity networks.