Systems and methods for lossy data compression using key artifacts and dynamically generated cycles are described, including receiving a data stream of relational data; detecting an artifact in the data stream associated with a critical point in the relational data; analyzing, by a processing device, the artifact to determine a set of artifacts associated with a complex event where the critical point is an endpoint of the complex event; calculating one or more cycle metrics based on the set of artifacts; generating a data structure associated with the complex event and cycle metrics; providing the data structure for marking a display of the relational data with the complex event based on the cycle metrics.