Neolithic
Where did the first corn come from (CH)?
The first kinds of corn cultivated in Switzerland in the Young Stone Age (about 7,500 years ago) were wheat and barley. These kinds of corn were not indigenous in Europe before they were first grown here, meaning they...
Why do we find more stone artifacts than wood artifacts (CH)?
Wood is a material, which conserves poorly in the soil as it decays. Only in water the conservation is better, as the wood is sealed off from the air...
Why are there so many archaeological monuments preserved in the area in Northwest Schleswig (DE)?
In this region, there is a long history – since the 16th century - of protected forests. Wood was very important because of the vicinity to the open sea and the „woodless“ marshlands. This had the consequence that there was no agricultural use in younger times in this region!
Did you have find treasures in the megalithic tombs in Northwest Schleswig (DE)?
It is a question of what you understand as a „treasure“: There were no gold finds or something like this, but there were finds of stone and ceramics which are very important from a cultural historic perspective! They are treasures for archaeologists!
Are there still skeletons in the megalithic tombs in Northwest Schleswig (DE)?
No, because the skeletons could not be preserved in the dry sandy soils of the Northern German Geest-area...
How does one know, how to exhibit a skeleton (CH)?
The many - often very tiny - bones of a displayed skeleton can be very confusing. But nowadays people know a lot of the human skeleton and people know all the bones. With help of specially trained people, the anthropologists, skeletons are assembled correctly.
How old are the Crannogs in Scotland (UK)?
The earliest known loch-dwellling in Scotland goes back 5,000 years to Neolithic times. This is on the island of North Uist, Scotland.
Which language did the prehistoric people speak (CH)?
On this subject, we unfortunately know as good as nothing, because the prehistoric people did not know yet how to write and therefore did not leave any written traces behind. As however it is important to a social group to be able to communicate, people surely must have used a language...
Didn't people in prehistory already have names (CH)?
Until in the Late Iron Age (3rd century BC), people did not use writing. In general, therefore, we are dealing with an alphabetic culture, so we do not have any names form this time...
Women in prehistory surely wore jewellery. What about men (CZ)?
This differed through times and regions but also within different social groups. We often find in male graves, especially rich ones, ornaments, for example torques and necklaces...