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.
In the Iron Age, how many people used to live in the houses in Biskupin (PL)?
There were 100 houses in the fortress with a total of 700 – 1000 people staying. The area of an average house was 70 – 90 square metres. Each house was divided into...
How was the weather like in the Neolithic Era in Austria (AT)?
The Neolithic is characterised by a warmer period; mean temperatures of 2 - 3 degrees warmer can be counted with. Obviously, our seasons like we know them were present back then as well.
What did Romans use for toilet paper (NL)?
Papyrus was probably the only type of paper the Romans used, but for cleaning their behinds the Romans had a softer option. A sponge on a stick was the easy solution to this pressing problem...
Wooden castles, did they at all exist (DE)?
Apart from the prehistoric and early medieval large castles, all the way into the High and Late Middle Ages, there were wooden castles. Partly these were, like...
Did you have find treasures in the megalithic tombs in Northwest Schleswig (DE)?
It is a question of what you understand as a „treasure“: There were no gold finds or something like this, but there were finds of stone and ceramics which are very important from a cultural historic perspective! They are treasures for archaeologists!
What were roofs made from during the Bronze Age (CZ)?
Remains of roofs are rarely preserved so we know little about them. They may have been thatched but at that time people did not grow corn with long stalks as rye later in Middle Ages and modern times and...
How did the cavemen know that it is possible to make tools from flint (CH)?
At least 2 million years ago, the early people started to use stones as tools. At first they used complete rocks as hammer, for example to open animal bones with to get to the tasty marrow...
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.
Did prehistoric dwellings have windows? How were they protected from the bad weather (CZ)?
Unfortunately large parts of prehistoric house walls are only rarely preserved to allow us to ponder the question of windows. In archaeological open-air museums they reconstruct windows according to traditional house building as very small which seems probable...
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...