Does a narrow water ditch and a wattle fence have any defensive value anyway (DE)?
Yes. One should realise, the potential enemy was under fire of arrows and stones when trying to conquer the ditch and tall fence.
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.
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”...
How and why is a reconstruction of Araisi lake fortress being built (LV)?
Āraiši lake fortress was attacked and destroyed in the late 10th century, and was never rebuilt. When the foundations settled and the water level in the lake rose, the building remains and artefacts ended up underwater, and in these anaerobic conditions they were preserved up to the present day...
How can you tell how old an object is (CH)?
Every period has its very typical range of objects like ceramics, tools, jewellery et cetera. Grouped by way of making or decoration an object can be assigned very precisely to a period of time (typology)...
How come it is so dark in prehistoric houses (NL)?
The prehistoric houses as reconstructed in Archeon have small or no windows. Most light enters through the door and the smoke holes under the roof. Besides this, the open fire gives some light. Honestly, we do not know...
How could people live in these smoked through rooms (DE)?
Medieval people were used to the smoke, like the modern city people the exhaust smoke of cars. Furthermore we should suppose, in the Middle Ages people could make a fire with much less smoke then...
How did Biskupin settlement seize to exist (PL)?
Because of the rising water table of Lake Biskupin the inhabitants abandoned the settlement.
How did medieval people burry their dead (NL)?
Medieval people wanted to be buried as close as possible near the relics of a saint or a church altar. Rich people were buried inside the church, in a monastery church or monastery hallway...
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...
How did people build megalithic tombs (NL)?
First, enough large stones needed to be collected. Presumably this happened in the neighbourhood where the megalithic tomb was planned. Researchers presume the stones were not moved...
