The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) is the national centre of archaeology where as wide and varied as possible an audience can appreciate the cultures of ancient Egypt, the Near East, the classical world and the early Netherlands. Egypt: the land of mighty pharaohs, intriguing mummies and countless deities. The museum's Egyptian collection is among the most notable of the world. Romans: perhaps you will be awed by the imposing statues of Roman emperors standing at the entrance of the ‘Romans’ presentation. And indeed, these statues were designed to impress. Greeks and Etruscans: The ancient Greeks were, and still are, a world famous people, whose culture has been a rich source of inspiration for the arts and sciences of western civilisation. Greek heroes and gods such as Achilles, Hermes, Athena and Nikè, will be your guides in the ‘Greeks’ presentation.
Ancient Near East: The ancient Near East, with all its astounding cultural treasures and intellectual achievements, has been the cradle of many civilisations in our part of the world. Netherlands in Prehistory: Prehistoric objects have been found in every province of the Netherlands. Stone and bronze axes, a mysterious wooden statuette of a man, a 6200 year old fish trap and beautiful amber and golden jewellery bring prehistory to life. A highlight of 'The Netherlands in rehistory' collection are the objects found in the grave of the so-called chieftain of Oss, among other things a double-bended sword adorned with gold, a very rare find indeed. In 1997, another special object was dug up at Sint Odiliënberg, a village in the Dutch province of Limburg: a stone engraved with a drawing of approximately 12000 years old, the oldest drawing ever found in the Netherlands.