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 did people actually communicate with one another (NL)?
This question goes for prehistory and the Middle Ages as well. From the emergence of modern man (the homo sapiens sapiens, following the homo sapiens neanderthalensis) we are sure people used spoken language...
What contacts existed between the inhabitants of the lake fortress and other countries (LV)?
In the Early Middle Ages, active trading contacts developed in Latvia, also involving the inhabitants of the lake fortress. Imported jewellery and parts of weapons have been found in the cultural layer...
How would a 12 year old entertain oneself in the Middle Ages (NL)?
Well, in those days, as soon as it would even be possible, children had to give a hand at home, for example with raising the even younger children. Many of those things would nowadays be called 'child labour', but that was how it was...
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:...
Iron in the Iron Age, did that exist (NL)?
It is not for nothing called "Iron Age". The art of making iron originates - like many developments - from the Near East. In the Southern Netherlands, for tools and weapons, often wood and stone were used, occasionally bronze...
What did people in the Middle Ages believe in (NL)?
The medieval people in Europe were Christian. They considered life as an earthly passage with death the gate which led to heaven. Real life started in heaven. To reach this...
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.
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...
Which types of weapons did people have in the Iron Age (SE)?
There were several types of weapons during this period. There are archaeological finds of bows and arrows from f.ex. Danish sacrificial bogs. The arrowheads were made of iron or bone. Bow and arrow could also be used for hunting...
Why are different parts of the Iron Age called in different ways (SE)?
Also in Sweden, the Iron Age is divided into the Early Iron Age (500 B.C - 400 A.D.) and the Late Iron Age (400 - 1050 A.D.). These period are in turn subdivided...