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

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