A brand-new first floor

Since its opening, the Espace gallo-romain museum has preserved and showcased an exceptional ancient nautical collection unique in Belgium: the boats discovered at Pommeroeul. These vessels, remarkable witnesses to a thriving Roman river port, reveal the crucial role waterways played in trade, travel, and the economic development of our regions.

Today, the museum’s first floor has been completely redesigned to provide these outstanding heritage treasures with a setting worthy of their significance. This new gallery invites visitors to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of ancient inland navigation and discover the daily lives of the men and women whose lives revolved around the rivers.

At the heart of the exhibition, the Pommeroeul barge and monoxyl canoe remain the undisputed stars of the display. Around these unique remains, new showcases explore three major aspects of ancient navigation.

• • • • • • The first showcase focuses on life on board. How did people live during their journeys? Which objects accompanied boatmen on their travels? Through archaeological collections, visitors discover everyday life aboard vessels nearly two thousand years ago.
          • The second showcase examines the construction and propulsion of boats. Materials, building techniques, steering oar, mast, quant pole, boat hook, and more highlight the remarkable expertise of ancient shipbuilders and navigators.
          • Finally, the third showcase is devoted to river trade, one of the key economic drivers of the Roman world. The objects on display illustrate the goods transported and the commercial exchanges that connected different regions of the Empire through an extensive network of navigable waterways.

To enrich the visitor experience, several replica objects have been produced for hands-on interaction. These reproductions allow visitors to better understand the techniques, materials, and practical realities of ancient river transport.

This new display also provides an opportunity to highlight ongoing and future research on the boats of Pommeroeul. Conservation, study, documentation, and public engagement efforts continue to deepen our understanding of these exceptional discoveries and to share their stories with a wider audience.

With this new gallery, the Espace gallo-romain museum invites you to embark on a journey along ancient waterways and encounter the boatmen, merchants, and craftspeople who brought the rivers of our regions to life during the Roman period.