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

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