artifact
noun
ar·ti·fact
| \ ˈär-ti-ˌfakt
\
\
Definition of artifact
1a
: a usually simple object (such as a tool or ornament) showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object
especially
: an object remaining from a particular period
caves containing prehistoric artifacts
b
: something characteristic of or resulting from a particular human institution, period, trend, or individual
… morality is an artifact of human culture, devised to help us negotiate social relations.— Michael Pollan
c
: something or someone arising from or associated with an earlier time especially when regarded as no longer appropriate, relevant, or important
… that over-simplified but eloquent quality that keeps Jefferson alive for us while Washington and Adams, his superiors in so many other respects, are artifacts of a quaint and lost world.— Jack Rakove
2a
: a product of artificial character (as in a scientific test) due usually to extraneous (such as human) agency
b
: an electrocardiographic and electroencephalographic wave that arises from sources other than the heart or brain
c
: a defect in an image (such as a digital photograph) that appears as a result of the technology and methods used to create and process the image
… can produce a very good picture, but there will be some loss of detail and some color artifacts such as adjacent colors bleeding into each other. — Consumer Reports