Assassin's Creed calls its powerful ancient artifacts Pieces of Eden.
The Pieces of Eden were created by the First Civilization, also called the Isu, and possess advanced abilities that later humans often interpret as supernatural. Different examples include Apples of Eden, Staves, and the Shroud of Eden.
The artifacts drive many conflicts between the Assassins and Templars. Templars generally seek to use them to impose order and control, while the Assassins oppose domination and try to keep such power from being misused.
The Apple of Eden is the best-known example, but it is only one type of Piece of Eden. The series' mythology therefore uses “Pieces of Eden” as the broader category rather than as the name of one specific artifact.