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.
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.
What kind of punishments did they know in the Middle Ages when you had done something wrong (NL)?
Medieval punishments were often quite gruesome and painful. One could simply be put in a block of shame, or much worse than that. Much needed to happen before they would for example cut off your hand, because that would mean...
Why are different parts of the Iron Age called in different ways (SE)?
Also in Sweden, the Iron Age is divided into the Early Iron Age (500 B.C - 400 A.D.) and the Late Iron Age (400 - 1050 A.D.). These period are in turn subdivided...
Did people already drink tea in the Middle Ages or Iron Age (NL)?
Drinking tea, why did people do that is the first question. Tea can be used as a medicine or as an intoxicating means. Besides that it serves as a ceremony. "Herbal tea" actually does not exist...
What kind of religion did people practice in prehistory (NL)?
On base of archaeological finds only, it is hard to reconstruct the religious beliefs of the past. Many aspects of it, like stories, songs and most rituals do not leave any traces in the soil that we can recover today...
How and why is a reconstruction of Araisi lake fortress being built (LV)?
Āraiši lake fortress was attacked and destroyed in the late 10th century, and was never rebuilt. When the foundations settled and the water level in the lake rose, the building remains and artefacts ended up underwater, and in these anaerobic conditions they were preserved up to the present day...
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...
Did knights in the Middle Ages really need to be hoisted onto their horses (NL)?
At the beginning, a suit of armour was meant for battle and a knight who fell off his horse should be able to continue fighting. In the 14th and 15th century, one could move around in a suit of armour pretty well...
What did the people of the lake fortress look like (LV)?
Anthropological and demographic studies give us an idea of the physical characteristics of the ancient Latgallians in the Early Middle Ages. Latgallian men living in the 7th–13th century had an average stature of...
Were Trébuchets common in Denmark (DK)?
As far as we know, they were relatively common. None have survived till modern times, but they are mentioned regularly in written sources...