Material culture is the material means by which humans adapt to the world. Archaeologists think in terms of artifacts and features. These are the material objects that are used to: (1) help determine a sequence of events and dates, (2) formulate a reconstruction of many ways of life, and (3) help to provide us some understanding of why human culture has changed through time.
ARTIFACTS
FEATURES
Artifacts are objects manufactured or modified
by humans. They can be classified into types. These types reflect function
or use, styles from a particular time period, or specific groups of people.
The artifact above was made by a prehistoric culture we recognize as the
Moche of Peru.
Features are objects that are either made or used by humans that are nonportable. Houses, pits, hearths, or irrigation canals are examples of features. The picture above is a prehistoric house from Tempe, Arizona. It was made by erecting posts around the exterior and building a roof over the house supported by a series of interior posts. The house is a feature.
Go to the next page to explore how archaeologists
look at artifacts and features through what are called "attributes."
