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.
How heavy was a knights' suit of armour (DE)?
A complete suit of armour of a knight in the late 13th and early 14th century weighed about 30 to 35 kilogrammes. To us, this may seem heavy, but a knight was used to carry his equipment from very young childhood on...
How did Biskupin settlement seize to exist (PL)?
Because of the rising water table of Lake Biskupin the inhabitants abandoned the settlement.
Were the Neolithic house posts in Northwest Schleswig really this thick (DE)?
Yes, they were. We found the structures inside of the postholes; and it was clear enough to separate the rest of the post itself from the surrounding soil filling...
How did people make fire in the early Middle Ages (NL)?
Two methods were used to make fire. One was by striking a special piece of iron (strike-a-light) on a piece of flint. The other method is by friction of wood on wood. The strike-a-light was most common. Sometimes people used the back of a knife to strike sparks. Friction of wood on wood (“the old-fashioned way”) was used at religious occasions...
Have the megalithic structures found in the artisans quarter of the gallo-roman city of Alesia really been used for the smelting of metal or enamel (FR)?
Experimental archaeology found that the most probable use of these structures was as heating ovens for clay-moulds being used for the smelting of bronze in the so called “lost form”...
Were the people in the Iron Age in Poland religious (PL)?
It is very difficult to reconstruct the beliefs of people back then on the base of what we found. Besides that, we can only imagine if religion was all pervasive or not that important...
Which weapons did one all use in the Middle Ages (NL)?
Weapons were used in hunting, in fights and at war. Many items can be used as a weapon in an impulse but I think you mean tools, specifically made to go hunt, hurt or kill or to threaten with in fighting sports or tournaments...
What was the average life expectancy of the medieval man in Denmark (DK)?
According to the statistics of skeletal finds, approximately 40 years. However, this includes a large infant mortality, and thus some people might well have lived considerably longer...
Where were Romans buried (NL)?
If at all, Romans were buried outside the city-gates, probably for hygienic purposes. Travellers on the main roads leading to the city were greeted by a long queue of tombstones. The inscription on Roman graves sometimes even welcomed visitors coming to the city.