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.
Where did bronze come from in prehistory (NL)?
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Both metals do not originate in the Netherlands or its surroundings. natural sources of copper can be found in Austria, Spain, Southern France, Northern Italy, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Bulgaria...
Were there any withches burnt at the Bronze Age stake at the museum in Asparn (AT)?
The stake did not serve as place to burn witches, but the people at the end of the Bronze Age were generally cremated, ashes were collected in an urn.
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.
Biskupin became the most important site for Polish archaeology of the 20th century, why (PL)?
Because of the unique preservation of the wooden complex of ramparts, houses and streets, because of using modern methods of archaeological and interdisciplinary research, because of initiating archaeology by experiment and because of organizing training camps for archaeology students.
How many people lived in the Netherlands in prehistory (NL)?
Estimations of population numbers in the Netherlands in prehistory are based in information from ethnography, burial places, traces from settlements and many assumptions...
Which materials did people use in the Middle Ages to construct a house (NL)?
Most people built their houses in the Middle Ages just like in prehistory: a wooden frame, walls of plaited branches covered with clay and a straw thatched roof. Only later in the Middle Ages, only the rich could afford using stone or bricks...
How did people sacrifice to the gods during the Early Iron Age (SE)?
During the Early Iron Age (500 B.C.-400 A.D.), people sacrificed mainly by placing the offerings in the water of bogs or lakes. To sacrifice in wetlands is a tradition which goes back to the Neolithic...
Why is Araisi settlement called a lake fortress (LV)?
It was established in the course of archaeological excavation (1965–1969; 1975–1979) that Āraiši lake fortress had been built on an island in the lake for defensive purposes and had been fortified in a similar manner to...
How did the interior of the dwellings in the lake fortress look like (LV)?
There were sleeping places and benches along the walls. Sometimes, in one corner of the room, the in- built structure from horizontal logs was made, where house hold items of bigger size and tools were stored...
Did people make everything by themselves in prehistory (NL)?
Most settlements were probably mostly autarctic, taking care of their own food, clothing, pottery, tools et cetera. There are however clues for the exchange of goods and resources which were not present in the local environment...