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