Translation guide
An object made by a human being, typically of cultural or historical interest. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 工芸品 (kōgeihin) for crafted items, while 人工物 (jinkōbutsu) is used in scientific or technical contexts. For archaeological finds, 遺物 (ibutsu) or 出土品 (shutsudohin) are used.
Referring to a handmade object with artistic or cultural significance, such as pottery, textiles, or tools.
The standard term for a crafted artifact, especially in the context of traditional arts and crafts.
この博物館には古代の工芸品が展示されている。
Ancient artifacts are displayed in this museum.
Emphasizes the artistic aspect; used for items that are both functional and aesthetically valuable.
彼は美術工芸品のコレクターです。
He is a collector of art artifacts.
An object recovered from an archaeological site, such as pottery shards, tools, or jewelry.
The standard term for archaeological artifacts or relics.
遺跡から多くの遺物が発掘された。
Many artifacts were excavated from the ruins.
Specifically refers to items unearthed from the ground; common in archaeological reports.
Any object created by humans, as opposed to natural objects; used in fields like archaeology, anthropology, or technology.
A general term for any human-made object, often used in contrast to natural objects.
この洞窟で見つかったのは自然物ではなく人工物だ。
What was found in this cave is not a natural object but an artifact.
A more formal or academic term emphasizing the intentional human creation; less common in everyday speech.
言語は人為的産物ではなく、自然に発展したものだ。
Language is not an artifact but something that developed naturally.
In scientific contexts, an artifact is a feature that is not naturally present but is introduced by the experimental method or equipment.
The loanword from English, commonly used in scientific and technical fields such as medical imaging, signal processing, and data analysis.
この画像のノイズはアーティファクトです。
The noise in this image is an artifact.
A more descriptive Japanese phrase meaning 'artificial result', but less common than the loanword.
このデータの偏りは人為的結果かもしれない。
This bias in the data might be an artifact.
工芸品 (kōgeihin) is for crafted items with artistic value, often in museums or collections. 遺物 (ibutsu) is specifically for archaeological remains. 人工物 (jinkōbutsu) is the broadest, meaning any human-made object, and is used in scientific contexts. Choose based on whether you emphasize craftsmanship, historical excavation, or the human-made nature.
この壺は美しい工芸品だ。
This pot is a beautiful artifact.
遺物から当時の生活がわかる。
We can understand life at that time from the artifacts.
それは自然の石ではなく人工物です。
That is not a natural stone but an artifact.
The loanword アーティファクト is only used in technical/scientific contexts (e.g., imaging artifacts). For cultural or historical objects, use 工芸品 or 遺物.
✕ この博物館にはアーティファクトがある。
Incorrect: This museum has artifacts.
○ この博物館には工芸品がある。
Correct: This museum has artifacts.
この出土品は縄文時代のものです。
This artifact is from the Jomon period.