Lesion on the left iliac spine of 6DT19. Credit: From the research paper: Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain.
A groundbreaking study has uncovered the first physical evidence of gladiator-animal combat in the Roman period.
The research presents compelling skeletal evidence of a human victim attacked by a large carnivorous animal, likely within the context of Roman-era spectacle combat.
It was conducted by an international team of archaeologists and osteologists, led by Tim Thompson, professor of anthropology and vice president for students and learning at Ireland’s Maynooth University.
Marble relief with lion and gladiator. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.
Convincing skeletal evidence
While images of gladiators being bitten by lions have appeared in ancient mosaics and pottery, this is the only convincing skeletal evidence using forensic experiments anywhere in the world of bite marks produced by the teeth of a large cat, such as a lion.
The findings centre on a single skeleton discovered in a Roman-period cemetery outside York in England, a site believed to contain the remains of gladiators.
The individual’s bones exhibited distinct lesions that, upon close examination and comparison with modern zoological specimens, were identified as bite marks from a large feline species.
The bite marks on the pelvis of the skeleton represent the first osteological confirmation of human interaction with large carnivores in a combat or entertainment setting in the Roman world.
Reshaping perceptions
Thompson, outlined the significance of the discovery: “For years, our understanding of Roman gladiatorial combat and animal spectacles has relied heavily on historical texts and artistic depictions.
“This discovery provides the first direct, physical evidence that such events took place in this period, reshaping our perception of Roman entertainment culture in the region.”
The study contributes a vital new dimension to our knowledge of Roman Britain, reinforcing the region’s deep connection to the empire’s entertainment traditions.
These findings offer new avenues for research into the presence of exotic animals in Roman-period Britain and the lives of those involved in gladiatorial combat.
The full research paper, Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain, is published in PLOS One.
