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

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