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.
Did they keep animals at the Biskupin fortress in the Iron Age (PL)?
The people of Biskupin cultivated land, about 150 – 200 ha. For this, they used oxen and cows. Within the Biskupin settlements, lots of bones of domesticated animals were found. They kept cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and dogs...
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...
What is the use of a division in Old, Middle and Young Stone Age (CH)?
Stone Age takes from 130,000 until 4,200 years before present, or no less then a huge period of 125,800 years. To understand this period better, archaeologists have tried to divide it into different phases, using certain criteria...
Could they already weave textiles in the Iron Age (NL)?
Absolutely, textiles are already known from the Stone Age. In these areas, little is found (in sandy soils, this is not preserved that well), but there are many clues, like weaving weights, belts and pins et cetera. The surely still used animal furs but textile was in well use. The value of it was much more than today, however...
How much time did it take in the early Middle Ages to build a house (NL)?
Nowadays, time is money. The longer it takes before it is ready, the more expensive the house is. Back then, building a new house meant you couldn't spend the same time on something else. Most medieval people were self-sufficient:...
Did they really have such beautiful colours in the past (DK)?
Yes. From about the middle of the Danish Iron Age they began to colour their clothes in all sorts of colours. In the Early Iron Age, one had carefully sorted out the wool and made use of the natural colours of the yarn to create dice and striped patterns...
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.
Why did people believe in the Middle Ages, the world was flat (NL)?
Well, far from everybody thought so. It was long before this, Pythagoras (580 - 500 BC) got to the point, the world was round. After him, many people followed - each with own reasons who thought the world was round, even in the Middle Ages...
Are there in Czech Republic any archaeological finds from caves? And if there are, where are they? (CZ)
At present in Czechia we know of 200 archaeological site in caves, below overhanging rocks and in gorges, Most of the sites were discovered in the karst areas: mostly in the Bohemian Karst (Central Bohemia, south-west from Prague), Moravian Karst (Central Moravia) and Štramberk Karst (Northern Moravia)...
How does one know, how to exhibit a skeleton (CH)?
The many - often very tiny - bones of a displayed skeleton can be very confusing. But nowadays people know a lot of the human skeleton and people know all the bones. With help of specially trained people, the anthropologists, skeletons are assembled correctly.