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.
How did Biskupin settlement seize to exist (PL)?
Because of the rising water table of Lake Biskupin the inhabitants abandoned the settlement.
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...
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...
What is the oldest board game in the world (NL)?
Board games are among the oldest games we know of in the world. In Egypt, boards for games were found, carved into roofs of a temple at Kurna, dating to 1,400 BC. The oldest game we know of was called Senet, found in the Tomb of Merknera, Egypt...
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!
What contacts existed between the inhabitants of the lake fortress and other countries (LV)?
In the Early Middle Ages, active trading contacts developed in Latvia, also involving the inhabitants of the lake fortress. Imported jewellery and parts of weapons have been found in the cultural layer...
Why do we find more stone artifacts than wood artifacts (CH)?
Wood is a material, which conserves poorly in the soil as it decays. Only in water the conservation is better, as the wood is sealed off from the air...
What is rose water? Where can you buy it (NL)?
Rose water was used extensively in the Middle Ages in the upper class kitchen. Nowadays, it is still an important ingredient in the India and Surinam kitchen. It adds a tender aroma to dishes...
Did they really have such beautiful colours in the past (DK)?
Yes. From about the middle of the Danish Iron Age they began to colour their clothes in all sorts of colours. In the Early Iron Age, one had carefully sorted out the wool and made use of the natural colours of the yarn to create dice and striped patterns...
What is a megalithic tomb (hunebed)(NL)?
A megalithic tomb (in the Netherlands called 'hunebed') is a 'room' made of large boulders in which the dead were buried. The Dutch megalithic tombs were built between 3.400 - 3.200 BC by the people of the funnel beaker (TRB) culture.