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.
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,...
In the Iron Age, didn't they have any domestic animals like cattle, cats or dogs (NL)?
They had cattle, but much smaller then the domesticated kinds we know of today. Dogs are the oldest pets but cats were not there yet in these days in this area, not until the Romans came...
Could Romans read and write (NL)?
Only the rich were able to afford a private teacher (paedagogus). He would teach young Romans basic reading, writing and arithmetic. At an older age children had to learn famous Roman poems and epic stories by heart...
Stress probably didn't exist in the Iron Age? They had plenty of time (NL)?
The uttermost importance in those days was that the small groups could hardly rely upon others in bad times: a failed harvest for example was a huge disaster...
Did people have soap in the Early Middle Ages (NL)?
The Romans didn’t use soap: they cleaned themselves with olive oil and some sand to remove dead skin cells. Soap supposedly is a Gallic or Germanic invention...
Are there in the Czech Republic any excavations of modern battlefields (CZ)?
Yes, from the Thirty Years’ War. In 1989-90 and 1999-2004 a research excavation of a battlefield at Třebel in Western Bohemia took place. Below the castle of Třebel at the end of August, beginning of September 1647 the Swedish army led by general Wrangel clashed with the Imperial army led by general Melander...
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...
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...
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...
In the Middle Ages, people probably had all the time of the world - no stress (NL)?
Whether the Middle Ages were an easy time with lots of holidays? People were attached a lot to religious habits and there were numerous holidays when a certain saint was worshipped. Sunday was a day of rest as well and a day of veneration since Constantine the Great set up the 7 days system in the year 321...