The exhibition Roman Coast focuses on life along the Dutch coast in Roman times. You will learn about trade and shipping, the military organisation of coastal defences, religion, and life by the sea.
Living and working on the coast
Travel the Roman coast from north to south and discover how Romans and other groups lived and worked there some two thousand years ago. You will see their weapons, valuables, household objects, and trade goods, along with models of forts, temples, and a ship. These exhibits tell of the tumult of battle, of navigating the seas, of commerce, religion, and everyday life. For children, the exhibition includes a game in which Roman boats search the coast.
The northern frontier of the Roman Empire, the Limes, ran straight across the present-day Netherlands, following the Rhine. In the west, this river flowed into another major expanse of water: the North Sea. All this made the Dutch coastal area especially important to the Romans, for both trade and military strategy.
The exhibition features objects from the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) that come from areas by the sea, from the northern island of Texel to the southern province of Zeeland. These are complemented by objects from museums in coastal regions.
The exhibition will run until 25 September 2016.
Source: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden [March 30, 2016]