High Tech Romans

The Romans were responsible for more technological advancements than any other culture. Offering a chance to experience these surprising innovations first-hand, High-Tech Romans highlights how and why several of them are still in use today. The exhibition includes everything from the earliest iteration of a sat nav to a 2,000-year-old tiling system that could almost have been made yesterday.

Modern society faces countless challenges, some of which can be solved with the newest technologies.

Many people think of high tech in terms of the latest and greatest gadgets. They often don’t realize that such innovations have happened throughout the ages and have something in common: they were inspired by previous eras and cultures. The Romans, for example, were clearly inspired by those before them, including the Egyptians, Etruscans and Greeks. Following this lineage, the exhibition encourages visitors to discover their own innovative nature.

Send a text message Roman style, build a Roman city, row in a Roman boat or become a soldier on a warpath: High Tech Romans comprises 32 interactive exhibits as well as 20 displays filled with archaeological finds from the northern part of the Roman Empire. The exhibition’s nine themes – which include architecture, water use and machines – combine installations with real-life artefacts. The contemporary design of the show reflects the theme of inspiration. Instead of simply mimicking a Roman building, the space reflects the culture’s techniques, detailing, organizational skills and art.

High Tech Romans will travel from Museum Het Valkhof (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) to LVR-LandesMuseum (Bonn, Germany), Technopolis (Mechelen, Belgium) and Museon (The Hague, the Netherlands).