Unlocking Gelderland's hidden Roman treasures: 16,000 boxes hold ancient secrets
Gelderland is uncovering a wealth of Roman artifacts hidden in 16,000 unopened archaeological boxes. These finds, including intact luxury pottery and rare figurines, reveal daily life from nearly 2,000 years ago and will soon be displayed for the public.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of archaeological boxes | 16,000 |
| Current boxes unpacked | 300 (first batch) |
| Estimated completion time | 6 years |
| Location of finds | Beneath Canisius College, Nijmegen-Oost |
| Age of artifacts | 1,800–2,000 years old (Roman era) |
| Notable finds | Luxurious earthenware set, cheerful-faced drinking cup, phallic figurine |
| Partner organization | Valkhof Museum |
| Funding allocated | End of 2025 |
| Province responsible | Gelderland |
The Province of Gelderland is responsible for managing and preserving archaeological finds within its region. This includes investigating, cataloging, and ensuring these historical artifacts are accessible to the public and researchers.
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Roman artifacts discovered in 16,000 archaeological boxes
A drinking cup with a cheerful face, a luxurious earthenware set, and a unique phallic figurine. These are some of the striking Roman finds after we, together with Valkhof Museum, unpacked the first 300 of 16,000 boxes.
Due to a change in the law, hundreds of thousands of archaeological finds from the past 70 years have ended up with the province. The depot now holds 16,000 boxes whose contents are still unknown. At the end of 2025, we allocated funds to open all the boxes. The process of unpacking, cataloging, and repacking will take about six years. Valkhof Museum is carrying out this task.
Treasure trove
This appears to be an enormous treasure trove. Even these first boxes reveal how rich and diverse Roman life in Gelderland was. In the coming years, we will discover what the remaining 15,700 boxes tell us about Gelderland’s history.
Peter Drenth
Deputy for Freedom, Province of Gelderland
1,800–2,000 years old
The first boxes contain mainly finds from the ground beneath the Canisius College, a former boarding school in Nijmegen-Oost. These items date back 1,800–2,000 years, placing them in the Roman era. Among them are particularly beautiful objects.
Luxurious earthenware set
For example, cups and bowls from an orange-red set. Ilse Schuuring, an archaeologist with the Province of Gelderland, explains: “This is a luxurious earthenware set. You can tell by the technique the Romans used, pressing patterns into the pottery with a mold. On the set, you see deer leaping through a forest. You could compare it to brands like Wedgwood or Villeroy & Boch, but nearly 2,000 years old—and it’s still intact. You could eat from it right away.”
Another remarkable find is a drinking cup adorned with a cheerful face. What makes it special is that the cup is almost entirely intact. It was found near a Roman military camp. This cheerful cup spent decades in a sealed box in a dark warehouse, but it will undoubtedly soon find a fine place in a museum.
No shame
Unique is the discovery of a 20-centimeter-long male genitalia carved from bone. While a wooden version from 2023 is known in Britain, all other Roman phallic figurines are made from non-organic materials such as stone or metal.
Ilse Schuuring notes: “The Romans had no shame about genitalia. Depictions of them were common, for example as amulets. They symbolized fertility. Such images were also hung at doorways to ward off evil spirits.”
As a province, we are responsible for archaeology. We investigate and preserve finds from the ground and make them accessible.
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