Artifacts in Use is a new book about the conservation of functional objects. Pipe organs serve as a case study looking into the broader questions of caring for historic objects that continue in use, especially those whose restoration often remains beyond the sphere of professional conservators. The book describes the vulnerability of historical evidence during conventional restoration, and how it can be preserved during restorative conservation and subsequent use. The right to restore and use some historic artifacts is affirmed along with the obligation also to preserve their historical substance for future re-interpretation. The book examines historical value and it analyzes the diverse values we each hold as users, conservators, restorers, and caretakers of the material past. John R. Watson is Conservator of Instruments and Mechanical Arts at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

If you have ever looked at a piece of pottery, a toy, or a coin from the past, then you have seen an artifact. Artifacts are things that people made and used. Over time, broken or unwanted objects were thrown on trash piles. Others were buried by natural disasters, or covered over by new buildings. This high-interest text shows several artifacts related to American history, including toys, weapons, and documents. It explains how archaeologists use artifacts to gain information about life in the past. Inquisitive readers will enjoy delving into this fascinating way to explore our American heritage.

Technical artifacts are both plain physical objects and objects that have been purposefully made for a purpose; they have a physical structure and a technical function. As a result, they belong equally in a purely physical conceptualization of the world, in which human intentions and goals seem to have no place, and in an intentional conceptualization, which is used to describe and understand people and their mental lives. This book explores how this observation plays out in the contexts of artifact design and explanation of how artifacts fulfill their function. It addresses the following questions: How do designing engineers get from a functional description of desired behavior to the concrete object that is the result of a design process? What do explanations of how an artifact fulfills its function look like and do they differ from explanations of natural systems?

Artifacts in organizations are ubiquitous but often overlooked. The chapters in this book illustrate that artifacts are everywhere in organizational life. They prevail in how offices are decorated, language is used, business cards are designed, and office cartoons are displayed. In addition, artifacts can be seen in the name of an organization and its employees, products, buildings, processes, and contracts, and they represent people, organizations, and professions. Artifacts and Organizations suggests that artifacts are neither superficial nor pertinent only to organizational culture. They are relevant to a rich and diverse set of organizational processes within and across multiple levels of analysis. Artifacts are shown to be integral to identity, sense-giving and sense-making processes, interpretation and negotiation, legitimacy, and branding. The book seeks to communicate that artifacts are often much more than what is currently recognized in organizational research. The four sections of this edited volume address various aspects of what is known about and known through artifacts. Together, the full set of chapters challenge the field to move beyond a narrow conceptualization and understanding of artifacts in organizations. This book leads students to embrace the full complexity and richness of artifacts. In addition, the text seeks to inspire those who focus on artifacts as symbols to delve deeper into the complexities of artifacts-in-use, for individuals, organizations, and institutions.

How can you ensure that you are learning everything your artifacts have to teach you? Charles Ewen explores a variety of methods and techniques used to prepare, protect, and analyze artifacts once they are in the lab. In brief, user-friendly sections, he outlines the basic principles of identification, classification, quantification, data manipulation, and analysis. Students will find that Ewen's suggestions point out fruitful areas of analysis, yet do not dictate the researcher's approach. Examples drawn from 16th century Spanish sites in the Americas introduce students to the hows and whys of archaeological lab work.

Corporations accumulate a lot of valuable data and knowledge over time, but storing and maintaining this data can be a logistic and financial headache for business leaders and IT specialists. Uncovering Essential Software Artifacts through Business Process Archaeology introduces an emerging method of software modernization used to effectively manage legacy systems and company operations supported by such systems. This book presents methods, techniques, and new trends on business process archeology as well as some industrial success stories. Business experts, professionals, and researchers working in the field of information and knowledge management will use this reference source to efficiently and effectively implement and utilize business knowledge.