An Archaeological View of Artifact Technology, Terminology, and Evolution

For discussing major evolutionary trends, artifact manufacture can be viewed on the general levels of material used and energy input, with the product characterized by function. Artifact evolution has been accretive in material. The making of composite artifacts, those composed of more than one raw material, is a good behavioral definition of Homo Sapiens. All material was natural until the first synthetic, probably leather, was made. For half a million years the energy used in making artifacts was kinetic and caloric. The domestication of plants added photic and biologic energies to artifact production, and the use of pottery for cooking added chemical energy. Artifacts have also accreted in kind and number, as opposed to much biological, social, and ideological evolution, which have often been substitutive. Accretion is also evident in the function of artifacts. Needs other than food, shelter, tools, or toys are now being served, and many artifacts fulfill several functions sequentially or simultaneously.