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

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