In the context of a search algorithm, an artifact is the "object" you are searching for. It contains no information about how you found it or the path it took, only the item itself. If you want to know the HOW then you want to find the Path (Search).
Anagram puzzle
Doesn’t matter how you find the word
Only the word itself (artefact) is important
Machine learning
Usually only the concept (artefact) is important