An artifact is an object made by humans that provides information about the culture of its creator and users. It can include objects recovered from archaeological sites, such as ancient tools or pottery, as well as objects from modern or early-modern societies, such as a television or a lathe. Artifacts can be classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary. Primary artifacts are used in production, such as a hammer or a camera. Secondary artifacts relate to primary artifacts, such as a user-manual for a camera. Tertiary artifacts are representations of secondary artifacts, such as a picture of a user-manual.

In a broader sense, an artifact can refer to any object showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object. This can include tools, clothing, and decorations made by people of any time and place.

In philosophy, a standard definition of an artifact is that it is an object made intentionally to accomplish some purpose. This definition includes tangible, durable objects such as those unearthed by archaeologists, as well as ephemeral or abstract objects made intentionally for a purpose.

In software development, an artifact is a byproduct that helps describe the architecture, design, and function of software. Examples of software artifacts include diagrams, images, and meeting notes. These artifacts are stored in a repository and are important throughout the software development process.