Mesolithic
Did children have to work as well (CH)?
People in prehistory did not get very old, meaning one had to grow up much earlier. There was less time to remain a child than nowadays. Besides this, life was very hard...
Did people in prehistory already keep animals (NL)?
In the Old and Middle Stone Age (in the Netherlands about 250.000 - 7.300 years ago) the people were hunters & gatherers. They hunted for wild animals, but did not keep them themselves...
How old did people get in prehistory (CH)?
The Stone Age people died - in respect to present - very early. Poor hygiene, illnesses, bad nourishment and burden of labour lead to an average life expectancy of 20-25 years. Many children already died in their first 4 years...
In prehistory, where did people go to the toilet (NL)?
We have never recovered any prehistoric toilets. When excavating settlements from this period, usually many traces of pits are found, but in most cases it is impossible to see what exactly they were used for, for storage, garbage or something else...
What is the use of a division in Old, Middle and Young Stone Age (CH)?
Stone Age takes from 130,000 until 4,200 years before present, or no less then a huge period of 125,800 years. To understand this period better, archaeologists have tried to divide it into different phases, using certain criteria...
How do you see the difference between an old and a new object (CH)?
There are numerous copied artefacts. It is quite well possible to copy prehistoric objects. For a layman it is especially in the case of flint objects difficult to see the difference between a copy and an original. Archaeologists however can generally speaking discern such "fakes"...
How can you tell how old an object is (CH)?
Every period has its very typical range of objects like ceramics, tools, jewellery et cetera. Grouped by way of making or decoration an object can be assigned very precisely to a period of time (typology)...
How would you know, where to find old objects (CH)?
When there are no ruins above the ground surface, it is not immanently clear if there is something to be found or not. If the place is built over in modern times, prehistoric finds or traces of settlements appear by accident during construction works...
Could I find something in my area as well (CH)?
Maybe! Old objects often are hidden deep under the present surface. To get to them, we need help from dredgers and the work of several archaeologists. However, in seldom cases there are objects which one can find at the surface. Those could be freed by the water or transported to the surface by the farmers' plough. Good luck in your search!
Why are the objects found below the earth surface (CH)?
When in the past a settlement was abandoned by the inhabitants, the left much garbage behind like pottery, bones or tools and the remains of their wooden houses...