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.
When did human settlement begin in the Cesis area, and who were the earliest settlers (LV)?
It is not known exactly when human habitation began in the Cēsis area. The process of settlement began in the Mesolithic (7600–4500 BC) and continued in the Neolithic (4500–1500 BC). These people were still hunter-fishers...
How many parish churches existed in Denmark in the Middle Ages (DK)?
In total there were 2,000 stone churches, all built between 1150 and 1250 AD. In libraries in Denmark you will find books about them...
How old are the Crannogs in Scotland (UK)?
The earliest known loch-dwellling in Scotland goes back 5,000 years to Neolithic times. This is on the island of North Uist, Scotland.
Does a narrow water ditch and a wattle fence have any defensive value anyway (DE)?
Yes. One should realise, the potential enemy was under fire of arrows and stones when trying to conquer the ditch and tall fence.
How were the changes in technology, economy and the social life influenced by the introduction of bronze (IT)?
The alloy of tin and copper for the production of bronze had two advantages: on the one hand the use of tin reduced the smelting point as tin smelts already at 231.9° C, on the other hand the addition of tin to copper results in...
Are the things in the living quarters of the chieftain’s longhouse at Borg authentic (NO)?
About 90% of the things in the living quarters are copies of things found from the Viking era. The rest have been made as we think they must have looked, based on old texts and our own practical experiences...
How did they make prehistoric canoes (NL)?
The prehistoric canoes that have been found in the Netherlands are dug-out canoes. They were made of hollowed-out trees. In te forest a suitable tree was selected and probably on the spot shortened, debarked and hollowed out...
What tools were used to work mammoth tusks, bones and so on? Did people use special tools for prehistoric art (CZ)?
We do not know about any special tools or more exactly we cannot recognize them. Prehistoric craftspeople and artists probably used tools common to their time; of course they could have had their own tools made especially for such use...
People back then were not that stupid after all … (CH)
No, why should they! The modern human (Homo sapiens sapiens) is around for about 37,000 years. Ever since, people have the same appearance and the same development of the brain as we do...
When people at Lejre Land of Legends enter the Iron Age houses through the small doors they almost always ask: "were people really so small" (DK)?
No, they had to bent to to get though the doors, just like us. Averagely, they were only 5 cms shorter than us today. The doors are small of two reasons:...