Gallo-Roman Belgium
The third day of Museum Week is all about heritage. We are the proud keepers of a lot of Belgian archeological heritage. We’re happy to offer you a glimpse of the vast collections of prehistoric, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian material we have on display.
After Julius Caeser conquers Gaul, Belgium becomes part of the Roman Empire. This results in a specific, interesting mix between cultures: the Gallo-Roman culture.
Our museum houses a large and unique collections of Gallo-Roman objects, most of them belonging to the elite. Lots of these objects were found in tumuli (graves). Tableware, toiletries in glass and metal, jewelry and other objects in precious metals... they were all found in the final resting places of the Gallo-Roman elite. This is also the reason why we have so many (almost) intact pieces: the graves protected not only the deceased, but also the gifts he or she took with them.
Gallic golden coins
Another important collection: coins. Our museum houses several coin treasures, both Roman and Celtic. Together with molds uses by counterfeiters they remind us of the importance, the use, the evolution and the instability of the monetary system introduces in our region by the Romans.
In 1980 a remarkable coin treasure was found in Thuin, Hainaut. The coins were buried there in the surroundings of a fortress at the end of the Iron Age. It’s not the only such treasure found in Belgium, but it is part of very specific context. Other golden treasures were found from the same age and in the same region. This region, between the rivers Samber and Maas, was inhabited by the Aduatuci tribe. The burial of these kind of treasures can be linked to the Roman conquests under Caesar: the local population buried its valuables in the hope to recover them in better times.
