Refers to objects left behind by a deceased person, a past era, or a historical event. Can be physical artifacts or personal keepsakes.
Precious relics were excavated from this ancient tomb.
Ancient Egyptian relics are on display at the museum.
祖母の遺物を整理していたら、古い写真が出てきた。
While sorting through my grandmother's belongings, I found an old photograph.
The research team discovered ancient relics inside the cave.
The museum carefully preserves these relics.
形見 is a keepsake kept to remember a specific deceased loved one and carries strong emotional weight, whereas 遺物 is a neutral term for any object left behind.
副葬品 specifically means objects buried with a corpse, while 遺物 is a broader term for any archaeological remains or relics, not necessarily grave goods.
遺物 refers to portable artifacts left behind (pottery, tools), whereas 遺構 refers to fixed structural remains like foundations or walls.
異物 (same reading いぶつ) means a foreign object or substance, completely unrelated to 遺物's meaning of a relic or memento left behind.
遺物 means a physical relic or remains left by the deceased, whereas 遺産 is broader and includes money, rights, and intangible heritage.
holy relic; sacred relic
Compound of 遺 (い, 'leave behind') and 物 (ぶつ, 'thing'). The reading いぶつ is a straightforward on'yomi combination.