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.
What did children in prehistory do (NL)?
There were no schools yet as nobody could read or write, so no time needed to be wasted on that. Instead, they had to help with jobs in and around the house like cooking, spinning wool and tending the cattle. Surely they had time for play as well. Excavations revealed for example small ceramic pots and animals. Maybe these were toys.
Did the Neanderthal people have any gods or religion (NL)?
We do think so, as the Neanderthals buried their dead with care. Therefore we think they believed the deceased would live on in another world...
Did children have to work as well (CH)?
People in prehistory did not get very old, meaning one had to grow up much earlier. There was less time to remain a child than nowadays. Besides this, life was very hard...
What kinds of wood did people use in Prehistory for tree canoes (NL)?
Kinds of wood used in Dutch prehistory were for sure oak (Quercus), lime (Tilia) and needle wood. The fact that more different kinds of wood were used could refer to that...
How would a 12 year old entertain oneself in the Middle Ages (NL)?
Well, in those days, as soon as it would even be possible, children had to give a hand at home, for example with raising the even younger children. Many of those things would nowadays be called 'child labour', but that was how it was...
Did Denmark take part in the Crusades (DK)?
No, not in the major crusades to the Holy Land; Danes may have been there, but only in very limited numbers. Local crusades against infidels along the coasts of the Baltic Sea were organised by Danish kings, however...
Who was King Arthur and when did he live and rule (NL)?
King Arthur is a myth. See for an extensive explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_arthur
Did people tidy their houses in prehistory (CZ)?
Certainly, the earliest Neolithic houses had smooth floors from fine clay stamped down (it was not simply the stamped down surface of the ground but a layer of...
How old did people in the early Middle Ages become (NL)?
On the basis of research on 66 skeletons from a graveyard in Susteren (from around 800 to 1100 AD) we know that women on average reached the age of 44 years and men on average 38 years. The infant death rate must have been very high. About one third of the children died before reaching five years.
Which Gods were worshipped by the Romans (NL)?
Romans were very open minded about their religion. They worshipped a wide variety of divine entities. A household could give praise to an ancestor for protection and prosperity, whilst...