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.
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...
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
How many people lived in a lake fortress (LV)?
Every dwelling house with its auxiliary structures was an independent economic unit. Each house would have been the home of one nuclear family, consisting of parents, children and grandparents...
How come it is so dark in prehistoric houses (NL)?
The prehistoric houses as reconstructed in Archeon have small or no windows. Most light enters through the door and the smoke holes under the roof. Besides this, the open fire gives some light. Honestly, we do not know...
How many people stayed on a Crannog (UK)?
Crannogs varied in size but it would probably be an extended family of parents, grand parents and children, aunts uncles, cousins, etc. Crannogs were used from 5,000 years ago to as recently as 250 years ago, so the number of people staying there would have changed as the function of crannogs changed.
Iron in the Iron Age, did that exist (NL)?
It is not for nothing called "Iron Age". The art of making iron originates - like many developments - from the Near East. In the Southern Netherlands, for tools and weapons, often wood and stone were used, occasionally bronze...
Did they have beds in the Early Middle Ages (NL)?
No beds are known from the Netherlands from the early Middle ages. In Oseberg and Gokstad (Norway) two beds were found. They look surprisingly modern: they even have a slatted bed base...
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 could people live in these smoked through rooms (DE)?
Medieval people were used to the smoke, like the modern city people the exhaust smoke of cars. Furthermore we should suppose, in the Middle Ages people could make a fire with much less smoke then...
Are there finds from furniture dating back to the Lake Dwelling Times and how did they look like (DE)?
Yes. We know rests from chairs, beds as well as racks, both from the Stone Age as the following Bronze Age. They were not at all worked as artistically as the furniture from the Mediterranean we know from the same era or from the Near East. They are more the results of sound craftsmanship...