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

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