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.
Biskupin is famous in Polish society and still has been brought in connection with Preslavonic tribes, why (PL)?
Prof. J. Kostrzewski created the theory that Biskupin as a settlement of Lusatian Culture had been joined with Preslavs, now this theory has minor significance and we treat Biskupinians just as Indoeuropeans.
How did people make bread in those days (NL)?
Both in the Middle Ages as in prehistory the same story: using a bread oven. For a bread, you need to grind corn (a very time consuming effort), make dough of it and let it rise with yeast...
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...
How did they warm the houses in the early Middle Ages (NL)?
With wood and turf. A hearth can be found in virtually all excavated houses. Often this is a round spot with a lot of charcoal and orange burned clay. The hearths sometimes were constructed on small platforms...
Do we know what the interior of prehistoric houses looked like (CZ)?
Not much survived because original floors have been destroyed by erosion. Hearths are preserved more commonly (from the Aeneolithic on they were carefully built from daub, stone, isolation layers of bark and so on) or arched ovens...
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...
Did toys exist in prehistory? And if they did, from what materials (CZ)?
They surely existed but we are not able to recognize them as such in archaeological material. Miniature vessels, figures of people or animals, rattles and similar artefacts were often made but may have been used for religious and magical activities...
Since when do people wear shoes (NL)?
The oldest preserved shoe is 9,000 years old. But research makes clear, the modern shoe can be between 26,000 and 40,000 years old, i.e. already in the Neanderthal Age. This is based upon research - not into shoes, but into feet. The shoes themselves have not been preserved that long...
Could I find something in my area as well (CH)?
Maybe! Old objects often are hidden deep under the present surface. To get to them, we need help from dredgers and the work of several archaeologists. However, in seldom cases there are objects which one can find at the surface. Those could be freed by the water or transported to the surface by the farmers' plough. Good luck in your search!
How heavy is a Roman suit of armour (NL)?
The Loreca hamata (chain armour) weighs about 10 to 11 kilos. A Loreca segmentata (plate armour) is about 7 kilos.