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.
Why didn't people build houses from stone (DE)?
Technologically speaking, stone constructions have been known in Central Europe since the Early Iron Age. But in those times stone was rather used for city walls than ordinary houses, because of its limited availability...
What did people eat in the Iron Age (NL)?
For sure no potatoes or tomatoes, these originate in America. Food was only seasonally available: bread and porridge was always available where there was cereal - by the end of the Winter, people often suffered from hunger...
What was the average life expectancy of the medieval man in Denmark (DK)?
According to the statistics of skeletal finds, approximately 40 years. However, this includes a large infant mortality, and thus some people might well have lived considerably longer...
What did they eat at the Crannogs in Scotland (UK)?
We have found traces of spelt and emmer wheat on site and barley. Also, a wide range of nuts and berries, including cloud-berry, raspberry, strawberry, brambles, sloes and wild cherries. Hazelnuts are in great abundance. Wild carrots, wild cabbages, wild garlic and thyme, and meat from domestic animals such as sheep and cow. Butter and cheese were found, but So far no fish bones have been found, but we have net weights.
What were roofs made from during the Bronze Age (CZ)?
Remains of roofs are rarely preserved so we know little about them. They may have been thatched but at that time people did not grow corn with long stalks as rye later in Middle Ages and modern times and...
How heavy is a mammoth tusk? What is its value (CH)?
We have never weighed the tusk in the museum in Zug, but it is this heavy, it has to be carried by two people. The value cannot be expressed in money as it is of scientific nature...
When did gunpowder weapons become common in Denmark (DK)?
It is difficult to say with any certainty, but a number of small hand cannons have been found in Scandinavia, dating from the later half of the 14th century and the early 15th century. By then, it must have been a relatively common weapon in Denmark...
In the Iron Age, how many people used to live in the houses in Biskupin (PL)?
There were 100 houses in the fortress with a total of 700 – 1000 people staying. The area of an average house was 70 – 90 square metres. Each house was divided into...
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!
Were the people in the Iron Age in Poland religious (PL)?
It is very difficult to reconstruct the beliefs of people back then on the base of what we found. Besides that, we can only imagine if religion was all pervasive or not that important...