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