Highlights

Egypt is a land of powerful pharaohs, fascinating mummies, and innumerable gods. The Egyptian collection at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden is one of the ten most important Egyptian collections in the world.

The Romans are an endless source of inspiration for writers and filmmakers, they have even become comic book heroes. In technology, society, war, art, and politics, the Romans were far ahead of their time.

For archaeologists, the ancient Near East is the region from Turkey to the Arabian Peninsula, and from Lebanon to Afghanistan. Due to the exchange between many cultures, it forms a vital link between ancient Egypt and the Greeks and Romans.

The culture of the ancient Greeks remains a rich source of inspiration for contemporary art and science. It is also still a part of our daily lives; the Olympic Games, democracy, libraries, hospitals, schools, and theatres all began in Greece, some 2,500 years ago.

Romans came to the Netherlands around the first century AD. The Rhine became the natural border of the Roman Empire in Northwestern Europe, and many Roman settlements and forts were built along its banks.

This collection presents the only complete survey of the archaeological history of the Netherlands. The objects span a vast period of time, illustrating a full 300,000 years of history.

This collection presents the only complete survey of the archaeological history of the Netherlands. The medieval collection contains many highlights of Dutch archeology, such as the 'Dorestad brooch'.