Artifacts are an important part of human civilization, artifacts that come from different parts of the world and are unique symbols to many cultures. These are found all over the world and are passed from generation to generation. Artifacts are made up of music, art, literature, philosophy, and religion which are deeply rooted in specific types of cultures. The Statue of Liberty for example is an artifact that represents the United States as a country, it represents freedom and the American dream. For many years other countries have looked at us as a young nation who have stood up for justice, freedom, and democracy. The Statue of Liberty is considered more than a cultural artifact. Like the Statue of Liberty is an artifact of America, a significant artifact that I cherish is my grandma's old cross from Ecuador, even though I’m not as religious as the rest of my family members the cross is a family artifact that has protected us and guided us through tough times. Artifacts signify different things to many people and we need to value how each person experiences artifacts.
The cross is a frequently used cultural artifact that has been around for millions of years, from the moment that it was first invented till now, it has been a symbolic symbol for many Christians, who see it as a representation of their beliefs and values. In the new world encyclopedia it mentions how today besides the common representation that the cross has with Christianity, there are other forms where the cross represents something else. Several countries like Switzerland and Britain use the cross as a symbol for their flag, not to forget the red cross emblem which was based on the Swiss flag. Even though the cross has different meanings for many different people most believe that the meaning behind the cross is related to religious freedom and morals. Where my parents come from South America, religion is a huge part of people’s lives. It’s traditions that have been going strong for years. Even though religion has declined it still dictates how most people choose to live their lives. Depending on your background, people can interpret the meaning of the cross in many different ways. For me, a cross symbolizes a piece of my belief and morals. Growing up, I was born and raised in a Catholic family. I attended church every Sunday with my parent and because of this, the cross was always present, at home and at church. They told me it was a symbol of how Jesus Christ sacrificed his life to save ours. The cross was also a source of comfort in hard times, so from early childhood, the cross was a positive thing in my life.
Even though I and many other people have a positive view of the cross many people may associate the cross with negative views. I have to remember that others have seen the cross or what it represents as a direct attack on how they live or what they believe. For example, an artist by the name of David Wojnarowicz whose work was the subject of the Smithsonian Museum of attempted the removal of Wojnarowicz’s video which the artist intended as an anguished tribute to his partner who died from AIDS in 1987. “The Smithsonian bowed to select Republican politicians and conservative groups (most of whom, interestingly enough, may not have actually seen the exhibit) but were upset because the video contained an 11-second segment showing ants crawling on a crucifix” (Ketchum, Robert). So, just as I and many other people have a right to see the cross as a symbol of good, David Wojnarowicz has the right to see it as a sign of evil, we are no one to judge another person’s perspective and experience with a cultural artifact, artifacts itself are meant to hold multiple meanings. People like Wojnarowicz see the cross, and it reminds them of an institution who have a set of rules which people need to follow or else they will be rejected and tormented by those same people who believe that the cross signifies hope, and as I remember the church does not condone those practiced of intolerance and hate.
Artifacts are precious reminders of how culture is presented. I see artifacts as representations of someone’s values. I have learned that an artifact can have so much meaning in one's life. Me, I never really thought about how much of my life a cross represented and the significance of this figure in my life, until now.