Nijmegen, Valkhof

Q1127079

The Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen, the capital of the ancient Batavians, is one of the most important archaeological museums in the Netherlands. It has a splendid collection with finds from six Roman settlements:

the Kopse Hof (once the HQs of Drusus, later used as fort by a unit of mounted auxiliaries);
the Hunerberg (a legionary base, used by Drusus);
Batavodurum (a town destroyed during the Batavian Revolt in 69-70);
Ulpia Noviomagus (built after the revolt);
the Hunerberg (again in use as legionary base, by X Gemina, to control the Batavians);
the late-Roman castle at the Valkhof, almost at the site of former Batavodurum.

Many objects tell a little story. I select the silver medallion that once belonged to one Gnaeus Aquillius Proculus, centurio of the Eighth Legion Augusta, found at the Kopse Hof auxiliary fort. This man is known to have played a role during the Batavian Revolt. When the forts along the lower Rhine were attacked, he was able to bring the garrisons to Nijmegen, where they were – for the time being – safe.

This would have been interesting enough: it is not often that archaeologists find an object that belonged to someone we know from the written sources. However, the object proves something else: that shortly before the revolt, the Romans sent soldiers of the Eighth legion Augusta, which was at that moment stationed at Sishtov in Bulgaria, to Nijmegen. This strongly suggests that the Romans were aware that the Batavians were becoming restless, which proves that the governor, Hordeonius Flaccus, was more capable than the historian Tacitus wants us to believe. He presents us with a Roman commander who is incompetent, indolent, and decadent, but archaeology proves otherwise.

The museum, which offers several other collections and a splendid view on the Nijmegen bridge (of World War II fame), is closed on Mondays. You can find photos from the museum here and here.

This museum was visited in a/o 2008-2019.

78 pictures related to this museum

Bronze object mentioning LEG HISP IX, from Ewijk	Coin commemorating Drusus' German victories, minted by his son Claudius	Nijmegen, Dedication to the Mopatian Mothers by Liberius	Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Tile with shoe print
Nijmegen, Objects from the tomb of a fourth-century lady	Nijmegen, British mirror	Aquilia Severa	Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Helmet
Rome, Forum Romanum, Temple of Janus, Coin	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Early Helmet	Roman coin, commemorating the annexation of Arabia Nabataea	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Ceres
Nijmegen, Inscription mentioning three relatives in X Gemina	Theodosius I	Valentinian I	Nijmegen, Tombstone of Scanius of X Gemina
Nijmegen, Glass vase	Nijmegen, Valkhof, Oil lamp with Victoria	Ulpia Severina	Lent, Frankish sword and spear
Nijmegen, terra sigillata with an inscription "Carnuntum"	Copy of an inscription from Rome, mentioning Noviomagus	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Civil settlement, Unfinished bronze statuette of Luna	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal
Faustina II	Berg en dal, Silver pan, handle with portrait of Tyche or Cybele	Elst, Temple, diploma	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Diana
Julia Maesa	Nijmegen, Bridge, pile-shoe	Nijmegen, Oil lamp, erotic scene	Nijmegen, Oil lamp, Jupiter and his eagle
Nijmegen, Agraphe with christogram	Nijmegen, Batavian horsemen	Herennia Etruscilla	Nijmegen, Crystal ring
Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Apollo	Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Imported mackerel	Cornelia Superia	Nijmegen, Inscription of an aquilifer of X Gemina
Nijmegen, Oil lamp, Mercury	Nijmegen, Noviomagus, Double temple, Fortuna	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Rim of an amphora, mentioning its Macedonian owner	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal
Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Cavalry mask from the Beekmansdal	Nijmegen, Amber portait of a girl	Berg en dal, Silver pan	Elst, Temple, Model
Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Aquillius Medal	Elst, Temple, Fragment of a wall painting	Nijmegen, terra sigillata with the Thracian name "Mucatra"	The Herwen Mole Inscription
Nijmegen, Tambourine of a girl of about ten years old	Otacilia Severa	Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Tile	Julia Soeamias
Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: sacrifice	Nijmegen, Oil lamp with gladiators saluting the organizer of the games	Nijmegen, Dedication by Candidinius, signifer of XXX Ulpia Victrix
Tiel, Runic inscription	Nijmegen, Noviomagus, Double temple, Mercury	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal	Tiberius
Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Dedication to Vesta	Nijmegen, Tomb of a girl of about ten years old	Coin of Vespasian, showing a personification of Judaea mourning the loss of her independence. Legend: JUDAEA CAPTA, "Judaea conquered".	Nijmegen, Inscription of Bisius of X Gemina
Nijmegen, Crystal dice	Nijmegen, Ring of a shoemaker	Nijmegen, Late Roman pottery	Beek, Milestone
Lucilla	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Officers' mansion, Wall painting of a deer and a peacock	Nijmegen, Tomb of a girl of about ten years old	Nijmegen, Terra sigillata
Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Helmet	Nijmegen, Amber carving of Amor