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

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