What is provenance?
Q: What is provenance?
A: Provenance is the history of ownership or position of a historical object.
Q: Where does the word provenance come from?
A: The word provenance comes from the French word provenir, which means “to come from”.
Q: In what fields is the term provenance used?
A: The term provenance is used in a wide range of fields including archaeology, paleontology, archives, manuscripts, printed books, and science and computing.
Q: What is the main reason for tracking the provenance of an object?
A: The main reason for tracking the provenance of an object is to get evidence of its original production or discovery.
Q: Why is provenance important in authenticating an object?
A: Provenance is important in authenticating an object because it provides evidence of what the object is.
Q: What is the difference between provenience and provenance in archaeology?
A: In archaeology, provenience is used to refer to the three-dimensional location or find spot of an artifact or feature within an archaeological site, while provenance covers an object's complete documented history.
Q: Can an object have both a provenience and a provenance?
A: Yes, an object may have both a provenience (where it was found) and a provenance (where it has been since it was found).
