diff --git a/ethcontract-common/src/artifact.rs b/ethcontract-common/src/artifact.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a38ff82f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethcontract-common/src/artifact.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+//! Tools for loading artifacts that contain compiled contracts.
+//!
+//! Artifacts come in various shapes and sizes, but usually they
+//! are JSON files containing one or multiple compiled contracts
+//! as well as their deployment information.
+//!
+//! This module provides trait [`Artifact`] that encapsulates different
+//! artifact models. It also provides tools to load artifacts from different
+//! sources, and parse them using different formats.
+
+use crate::Contract;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+pub mod truffle;
+
+/// An entity that contains compiled contracts.
+pub struct Artifact {
+    origin: String,
+    contracts: HashMap<String, Contract>,
+}
+
+impl Artifact {
+    /// Create a new empty artifact.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Artifact {
+            origin: "<unknown>".to_string(),
+            contracts: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new artifact with an origin information.
+    pub fn with_origin(origin: String) -> Self {
+        Artifact {
+            origin,
+            contracts: HashMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Describe where this artifact comes from.
+    ///
+    /// This function is used when a human-readable reference to the artifact
+    /// is required. It could be anything: path to a json file, url, etc.
+    pub fn origin(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.origin
+    }
+
+    /// Set new origin for the artifact.
+    ///
+    /// Artifact loaders will set origin to something meaningful in most cases,
+    /// so this function should not be used often. There are cases when
+    /// it is required, though.
+    pub fn set_origin(&mut self, origin: impl Into<String>) {
+        self.origin = origin.into();
+    }
+
+    /// Check whether this artifact has a contract with the given name.
+    pub fn contains(&self, name: &str) -> bool {
+        self.contracts.contains_key(name)
+    }
+
+    /// Get contract by name.
+    ///
+    /// Some artifact formats allow exporting a single unnamed contract.
+    /// In this case, the contract will have an empty string as its name.
+    pub fn get(&self, name: &str) -> Option<&Contract> {
+        self.contracts.get(name)
+    }
+
+    /// Insert a new contract to the artifact.
+    ///
+    /// If contract with this name already exists, replace it
+    /// and return an old contract.
+    pub fn insert(&mut self, contract: Contract) -> Option<Contract> {
+        self.contracts.insert(contract.name.clone(), contract)
+    }
+
+    /// Remove contract from the artifact.
+    ///
+    /// Returns removed contract or [`None`] if contract with the given name
+    /// wasn't found.
+    pub fn remove(&mut self, name: &str) -> Option<Contract> {
+        self.contracts.remove(name)
+    }
+
+    /// Create an iterator that yields the artifact's contracts.
+    pub fn iter(&self) -> impl Iterator<Item = &Contract> + '_ {
+        self.contracts.values()
+    }
+
+    /// Take all contracts from the artifact, leaving it empty,
+    /// and iterate over them.
+    pub fn drain(&mut self) -> impl Iterator<Item = Contract> + '_ {
+        self.contracts.drain().map(|(_, contract)| contract)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for Artifact {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Artifact::new()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ethcontract-common/src/artifact/truffle.rs b/ethcontract-common/src/artifact/truffle.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..009b4436
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ethcontract-common/src/artifact/truffle.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+//! Implements the most common artifact format used in Truffle, Waffle
+//! and some other libraries.
+//!
+//! This artifact is represented as a JSON file containing information about
+//! a single contract. We parse the following fields:
+//!
+//! - `contractName`: name of the contract (optional);
+//! - `abi`: information about contract's interface;
+//! - `bytecode`: contract's compiled bytecode (optional);
+//! - `networks`: info about known contract deployments (optional);
+//! - `devdoc`, `userdoc`: additional documentation for contract's methods.
+
+use crate::artifact::Artifact;
+use crate::errors::ArtifactError;
+use crate::Contract;
+use serde_json::Value;
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+/// Loads truffle artifacts.
+pub struct TruffleLoader {
+    /// Override for artifact's origin.
+    ///
+    /// If empty, origin will be derived automatically.
+    pub origin: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Override for contract's name.
+    ///
+    /// Truffle artifacts contain a single contract which may
+    pub name: Option<String>,
+}
+
+impl TruffleLoader {
+    /// Create a new truffle loader.
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        TruffleLoader {
+            origin: None,
+            name: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new truffle loader and set an override for artifact's origins.
+    pub fn with_origin(origin: String) -> Self {
+        TruffleLoader {
+            origin: Some(origin),
+            name: None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Set new override for artifact's origin. See [`origin`] for more info.
+    ///
+    /// [`origin`]: #structfield.origin
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn origin(mut self, origin: String) -> Self {
+        self.origin = Some(origin);
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Set new override for artifact's name. See [`name`] for more info.
+    ///
+    /// [`name`]: #structfield.name
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn name(mut self, name: String) -> Self {
+        self.name = Some(name);
+        self
+    }
+
+    /// Parse a truffle artifact from JSON string.
+    pub fn load_from_string(&self, json: &str) -> Result<Artifact, ArtifactError> {
+        let origin = self
+            .origin
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "<memory>".to_string());
+        let mut artifact = Artifact::with_origin(origin);
+        artifact.insert(self.load_contract_from_string(json)?);
+        Ok(artifact)
+    }
+
+    /// Parse a contract from JSON string.
+    pub fn load_contract_from_string(&self, json: &str) -> Result<Contract, ArtifactError> {
+        let mut contract: Contract = serde_json::from_str(json)?;
+        if let Some(name) = &self.name {
+            contract.name = name.clone();
+        }
+        Ok(contract)
+    }
+
+    /// Loads a truffle artifact from JSON value.
+    pub fn load_from_json(&self, value: Value) -> Result<Artifact, ArtifactError> {
+        let origin = self
+            .origin
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| "<memory>".to_string());
+        let mut artifact = Artifact::with_origin(origin);
+        artifact.insert(self.load_contract_from_json(value)?);
+        Ok(artifact)
+    }
+
+    /// Loads a contract from JSON value.
+    pub fn load_contract_from_json(&self, value: Value) -> Result<Contract, ArtifactError> {
+        let mut contract: Contract = serde_json::from_value(value)?;
+        if let Some(name) = &self.name {
+            contract.name = name.clone();
+        }
+        Ok(contract)
+    }
+
+    /// Loads a truffle artifact from disk.
+    pub fn load_from_file(&self, path: &Path) -> Result<Artifact, ArtifactError> {
+        let origin = self
+            .origin
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| path.display().to_string());
+        let mut artifact = Artifact::with_origin(origin);
+        artifact.insert(self.load_contract_from_file(path)?);
+        Ok(artifact)
+    }
+
+    /// Loads a contract from disk.
+    pub fn load_contract_from_file(&self, path: &Path) -> Result<Contract, ArtifactError> {
+        let mut contract: Contract = serde_json::from_reader(File::open(path)?)?;
+        if let Some(name) = &self.name {
+            contract.name = name.clone();
+        }
+        Ok(contract)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for TruffleLoader {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        TruffleLoader::new()
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ethcontract-common/src/contract.rs b/ethcontract-common/src/contract.rs
index c95d0d98..6a6c79a7 100644
--- a/ethcontract-common/src/contract.rs
+++ b/ethcontract-common/src/contract.rs
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ use web3::types::Address;
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(default = "Contract::empty")]
 pub struct Contract {
-    /// The contract name
+    /// The contract name. Unnamed contracts have an empty string as their name.
     #[serde(rename = "contractName")]
-    pub contract_name: String,
+    pub name: String,
     /// The contract ABI
     pub abi: Abi,
     /// The contract deployment bytecode.
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ impl Contract {
     /// Creates an empty contract instance.
     pub fn empty() -> Self {
         Contract {
-            contract_name: String::new(),
+            name: String::new(),
             abi: Abi {
                 constructor: None,
                 functions: HashMap::new(),
diff --git a/ethcontract-common/src/lib.rs b/ethcontract-common/src/lib.rs
index 8ca95566..d0e41ee6 100644
--- a/ethcontract-common/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ethcontract-common/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 //! the `ethcontract-derive` crate.
 
 pub mod abiext;
+pub mod artifact;
 pub mod bytecode;
 pub mod contract;
 pub mod errors;
diff --git a/ethcontract-generate/src/contract.rs b/ethcontract-generate/src/contract.rs
index d79234b5..8e35f4b9 100644
--- a/ethcontract-generate/src/contract.rs
+++ b/ethcontract-generate/src/contract.rs
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ impl Context {
 
         let raw_contract_name = if let Some(name) = args.contract_name_override.as_ref() {
             name
-        } else if !contract.contract_name.is_empty() {
-            &contract.contract_name
+        } else if !contract.name.is_empty() {
+            &contract.name
         } else {
             return Err(anyhow!(
                 "contract artifact is missing a name, this can happen when \