Temporary exhibitions

« Mothers and young children in Roman times »

Giving and receiving life - a path of pitfalls but also emotions and happiness ... whether 2000 years ago or today!

Dates : 2004 - 2005

In 2004-2005 the Museum hosted an exhibition created by the Municipal Archaeological Service and the Museum of Bourges (France). This exhibition on the history of motherhood and early childhood was adapted to the Roman Museum of Nyon with the help of Véronique Dasen, assistant lecturer at the University of Fribourg, and took the visitor on an exploration of Roman family life from the inside, little evidence of which has come down to us. Various archaeological finds, often of a modest nature (ex-votos, feeding-bottles, amulets…), illustrated the existence of wives, parents and children of long ago.

Was it important to be a mother in Roman times? Were families large? How was pregnancy viewed? Was it an illness or a positive event for a woman’s health? Were there women doctors? What did an infant’s life represent in times of high mortality rates? What were the rules governing funerals? Was medicine in ancient times concerned with newborn children? What treatments were used? Were breast-pumps known? It was to this series of questions that the exhibition endeavoured to find an answer.

A catalogue, an information pack and a virtual course

Catalogue available from the publisher

« Maternité et petite enfance dans l'Antiquité romaine : catalogue de l'exposition, Bourges, Muséum d'histoire naturelle, 6 novembre 2003-28 mars 2004 », sous la dir. de D. Gourevitch, A. Moirin, N. Rouquet. Bituriga, catalogue 2003-1. Bourges : éd. de la Ville de Bourges, Service d'archéologie municipal, 2003, 237 p. : ill. en noir et en coul.

Those interested can access a virtual course (in French): « Naissance et petite enfance à Rome », by V. Dasen in the Swiss Virtual Campus at Antiquit@s (University of Fribourg) > liste de modules > Module Naissance et petite enfance.