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 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...
Which weapons did one all use in the Middle Ages (NL)?
Weapons were used in hunting, in fights and at war. Many items can be used as a weapon in an impulse but I think you mean tools, specifically made to go hunt, hurt or kill or to threaten with in fighting sports or tournaments...
Were there already Muslims and Christian people (NL)?
There are Muslims since محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد المطلب بن هاشم بن عبد مناف القرشي / Muḥammad ibn Abd Allāh ibn Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāšim ibn Abd Manāf al-Qurašī / Mohammed (about 571 – June, 8th 632) founded the Islam in about 600 AD...
How did people hunt before bow and arrow were invented (NL)?
Bow and arrow were invented about 15,000 years ago, when the last ice age was ending. Before that, people used a stick to make their arm longer, thus enhancing the power with which the spear was thrown...
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...
How many children did people get in prehistory (NL)?
We do not know exactly how large prehistoric families were because archaeological finds cannot tell us much about this. Research to present today hunters / gatherers reveal, the generally speaking, have small families...
Why and how does one use fire when make flint tools? When I tried myself, the stones splintered into small pieces (DE).
When making flint (in different languages called "fire stone") tools, fire is rarely used. The word fire in this case refers to the possibilities of using flint to make fire with...
Was there a division of roles in the early Middle Ages (NL)?
There was a traditional division of roles. Women in general took care of the children. They herded and milked the cattle and sheep and fed the chickens. Shaving sheep, plucking wool,...
Are there in Czech Republic any archaeological finds from caves? And if there are, where are they? (CZ)
At present in Czechia we know of 200 archaeological site in caves, below overhanging rocks and in gorges, Most of the sites were discovered in the karst areas: mostly in the Bohemian Karst (Central Bohemia, south-west from Prague), Moravian Karst (Central Moravia) and Štramberk Karst (Northern Moravia)...
You have something hanging above the fire, what’s that (SE)?
It is a protection for the roof, to keep sparks from getting up in to it. Right now we have a piece of wool cloth, in our last house we had animal skin. As soon as we can we are building a frame of willow which we are going to coat with clay.