Nijmegen, Valkhof

Q1127079

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"	Lucilla	Elst, Temple, Model	Nijmegen, Noviomagus, Double temple, Fortuna
Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Rim of an amphora, mentioning its Macedonian owner	Bronze object mentioning LEG HISP IX, from Ewijk	Tiberius	Julia Maesa
Rome, Forum Romanum, Temple of Janus, Coin	Julia Soeamias	The Herwen Mole Inscription	Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Imported mackerel
Nijmegen, Late Roman pottery	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Cavalry mask from the Beekmansdal	Nijmegen, Dedication by Candidinius, signifer of XXX Ulpia Victrix	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Apollo
Nijmegen, Terra sigillata	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Civil settlement, Unfinished bronze statuette of Luna	Coin of Vespasian, showing a personification of Judaea mourning the loss of her independence. Legend: JUDAEA CAPTA, "Judaea conquered".	Nijmegen, British mirror
Roman coin, commemorating the annexation of Arabia Nabataea	Nijmegen, Glass vase	Cornelia Superia	Berg en dal, Silver pan, handle with portrait of Tyche or Cybele
Copy of an inscription from Rome, mentioning Noviomagus	Nijmegen, Objects from the tomb of a fourth-century lady	Nijmegen, Tambourine of a girl of about ten years old	Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Dedication to Vesta
Nijmegen, Tombstone of Scanius of X Gemina	Nijmegen, Amber portait of a girl	Nijmegen, Ring of a shoemaker	Nijmegen, Amber carving of Amor
Nijmegen, Tomb of a girl of about ten years old	Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Early Helmet	Elst, Temple, Fragment of a wall painting	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Ceres
Elst, Temple, diploma	Nijmegen, Inscription of an aquilifer of X Gemina	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal	Faustina II
Nijmegen-Hunerberg, Officers' mansion, Wall painting of a deer and a peacock	Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: sacrifice	Nijmegen, Agraphe with christogram	Nijmegen, terra sigillata with the Thracian name "Mucatra"
Nijmegen, Noviomagus, Double temple, Mercury	Nijmegen, Crystal ring	Aquilia Severa	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal
Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Helmet	Nijmegen, Crystal dice	Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Tile with shoe print	Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Helmet
Berg en Dal, Pottery factory, Tile	Nijmegen, Oil lamp, Mercury	Beek, Milestone	Nijmegen, Inscription of Bisius of X Gemina
Berg en dal, Silver pan	Herennia Etruscilla	Nijmegen, Oil lamp with gladiators saluting the organizer of the games	Coin commemorating Drusus' German victories, minted by his son Claudius
Nijmegen, Monument to Tiberius: Diana	Nijmegen, Bridge, pile-shoe	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal	Nijmegen, Oil lamp, Jupiter and his eagle
Nijmegen, Oil lamp, erotic scene	Nijmegen, Tomb of a girl of about ten years old	Cavalry mask, found in the river Waal	Valentinian I
Ulpia Severina	Otacilia Severa	Nijmegen, Dedication to the Mopatian Mothers by Liberius	Tiel, Runic inscription
Theodosius I	Nijmegen, Kops Plateau, Aquillius Medal	Nijmegen, Batavian horsemen	Nijmegen, Valkhof, Oil lamp with Victoria
Lent, Frankish sword and spear	Nijmegen, Inscription mentioning three relatives in X Gemina