What does "artifact" mean in UP (Unified Process)?

Answer 1

Artifacts are either final or intermediate work products produced and used during a project. Artifacts capture and convey project information, and may take various shapes or forms.

To make developing a complete software system manageable, the artifacts are organized into sets. Several artifacts are used in a number of disciplines; for example, the Risk List, the Software Architecture Document, and the Iteration Plan.

Activities have input and output artifacts. An artifact is a work product of the process: roles use artifacts to perform activities, and produce artifacts in the course of performing activities. Artifacts are the responsibility of a single role, making responsibility easy to identify and understand, and promoting the idea that every piece of information produced in the process requires the appropriate set of skills