Nijmegen, Valkhof

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

Copy of an inscription from Rome, mentioning Noviomagus (EDCS-22900218)	Silver panhandle with portrait of Tyche or Cybele	Elst, temple, model	Double temple, Fortuna
Tiberius	Glass vase	Nijmegen, Rim of an amphora, mentioning its Macedonian owner (EDCS-71200321)	Runic inscription
Monument to Tiberius: Diana	Dedication to Vesta (EDCS-11100823)	Helmet from the Kops Plateau	Nijmegen, Aquillius Medal (EDCS-11801060)
Lucilla	Beek, Milestone (EDCS-12400325)	Faustina II	Roman coin, commemorating the annexation of Arabia Nabataea
Pile-shoe	Fresco from one of the officers' mansions at the Hunerberg	Bronze object mentioning LEG HISP IX, from Ewijk	Cavalry mask
Imported mackerel	Julia Soeamias	Cavalry mask	Terra sigillata
Nijmegen, Valkhof, Oil lamp with Victoria	Helmet from the Kops Plateau	Silver pan	Nijmegen, inscription of an aquilifer of X Gemina
Tambourine of a tomb of a ten-year old girl	Amber portait of a girl	Inscription mentioning three relatives in X Gemina (Nijmegen; EDCS-11100826)	Nijmegen, oil lamp with a portrait of Mercury
Nijmegen, Dedication to the Mopatian Mothers by Liberius (EDCS-11100819)	Tile	Nijmegen, terra sigillata with the Thracian name "Mucatra"	Oil lamp, Jupiter and his eagle
The Herwen Mole Inscription (EDCS-25800680)	Otacilia Severa	Coin commemorating Drusus' German victories, minted by his son Claudius	A Frankish sword and spear, found in Lent, across the Waal River
Objects from the tomb of a fourth-century lady	Coin of Vespasian, showing a personification of Judaea mourning the loss of her independence. Legend: JUDAEA CAPTA, "Judaea conquered".	Late antique pottery	Julia Maesa
Part of a fresco	Double temple, Mercury	Valentinian I	Monument to Tiberius: Apollo
Tomb of a girl of about ten years old	Monument to Tiberius: Ceres	Unfinished bronze statuette of Luna, from the civil settlement near the Hunerberg fort	Crystal dice
Diploma from Elst (EDCS-24600743)	Cavalry mask	Crystal ring	Cavalry mask
Closed gate of Janus	Helmet from the Hunerberg	Nijmegen, Dedication by Candidinius, signifer of XXX Ulpia Victrix (EDCS-11100813)	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: sacrifice (EDCS-20500331)
Tomb of a ten-year old girl	Amber carving of Amor	Agraphe with christogram	Oil lamp with gladiators saluting the organizer of the games
Ring of a shoemaker (EDCS-11801061)	Inscription of Bisius of X Gemina (Nijmegen; EDCS-11100827)	Cavalry mask, found in the Beekmansdal east of the Hunerberg	Ulpia Severina
Theodosius I	Aquilia Severa	Tile	Oil lamp, erotic scene
British mirror	Batavian horsemen	Nijmegen, terra sigillata with an inscription "Carnuntum"	Herennia Etruscilla
Cornelia Superia	Tombstone of Scanius of X Gemina (Nijmegen; EDCS-08901053)