CONGRESS – Roman villa development in North-Western Europe
initiatief van het Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Limburgs Museum en het Thermenmuseum
Leiden
Roman villa development in North- Western Europe: new perspectives
Specialists from various disciplines, from the Netherlands and abroad, exchange knowledge about their most current research into Roman villas in Northwest Europe. The reason for this is the completion of the research project A Roman idyll of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, the Limburg Museum, the Thermenmuseum and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (2020-2024), which aimed at the analysis of ancient excavations of Roman villas in Limburg. The results of this villa project will be presented and evaluated during the congress, followed by space for discussion on the perspectives for future research in the field of Roman villas.
- date: Monday 27 May 2024
- time: 9:30 – 18:00
- location: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden/National Museum of Antiquities (address and route)
- price: € 40 (students € 25)
- registration: buy tickets online
- language of instruction: English
Research and excavations
The research on Roman villas in Limburg began in the 19th century. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden was actively involved, often in collaboration with local researchers. By 1955 around twenty villas had been excavated, with many finds being brought to Leiden. The others remained in Limburg, including at the Province of Limburg, the Limburgs Museum in Venlo and the Thermenmuseum in Heerlen.
A Roman idyll
For the research and public project A Roman idyll, the three museums and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands joined forces. A detailed analysis was made of the thousands of Limburg villa finds and old excavation documents preserved in the archives and depots. Aerial photos and recent excavation data were also used to gather additional information. The project is now in its final phase. The first results can be seen from 25 April 2024 in the exhibition Roman villas in Limburg in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, which will also travel to the two museums in Limburg. All of the results will be published in the National Museum of Antiquities’ PALMA scientific series in 2024.