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