House of Questions
Delphi House of Questions was an EU Culture 2000 project by three EXARC members. Under this umbrella, other EXARC members as well collected and answered the most frequently asked questions by visitors to archaeological open-air museums. The largest part of this collection of questions you can find here – as many of them still carry importance. In most cases we offer the questions both in the original language and in English. With several questions you will find illustrations by Savannah Parent.
Where did medieval people go to the toilet (NL)?
In the Middle Ages, every house needed to have a secrete (toilet). Ordinary folk usually had it in their back yard. Underneath, a hole was dug which regularly needed to be emptied. The contents was used by farmers as fertiliser...
What weapons were used in battle by the people inhabiting the lake fortress (LV)?
The people living in the lake fortress used the characteristic close combat and missile weapons of the Viking Age. Missile weapons included the bow, with iron-tipped arrows, as well as the javelin and probably also the sling...
Which materials did people use in the Middle Ages to construct a house (NL)?
Most people built their houses in the Middle Ages just like in prehistory: a wooden frame, walls of plaited branches covered with clay and a straw thatched roof. Only later in the Middle Ages, only the rich could afford using stone or bricks...
Were there any cult houses and if so, where were the clay breasts found? Is there proof for male or female priests or shamans (DE)?
Probably there were cult houses in the Late Young Stone Age, from 4,300 BC. We for example know such buildings from Ludwigshafen and Sipplingen at the Lake Constance and from Marin / Les Piècettes at the Neuenburger Lake in Switzerland.
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!
How heavy is a Roman suit of armour (NL)?
The Loreca hamata (chain armour) weighs about 10 to 11 kilos. A Loreca segmentata (plate armour) is about 7 kilos.
Do you know anything about how people kept food cool in the Middle Ages (NL)?
There are different ways. Actually, the best fridges are either streaming water or a hole in the ground. Rich people would have ice cellars where they would store ice in winter time, which would remain good until Summer.
Didn't medieval shoes have soles and didn't they wear out very soon (NL)?
Medieval shoes had merely a thin sole. To prevent this from wearing out too fast, but also in order to prevent the feet from getting wet, people wore wooden shoes called "trip". These are a kind of wooden slippers which could be worn over the shoe. Experiments show that such shoes are worn out after a couple of months. Probably the medieval people then bought a new pair or had the old ones fixed.
How heavy are the stones of a megalithic tomb (NL)?
There are both large and small megalithic tombs in Drenthe (NL). The largest is near Borger. The most heavy stones used for this one weigh about 23,000 kilos!
Where did bronze come from in prehistory (NL)?
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Both metals do not originate in the Netherlands or its surroundings. natural sources of copper can be found in Austria, Spain, Southern France, Northern Italy, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Bulgaria...