As The Press reported, researches from the University of York, Maynooth University, Cranfield University, Durham University, King’s College London, York Archaeology, and York Osteoarchaeology Ltd found a lion shaped bite on a Roman skeleton unearthed in Driffield Terrace, York.
The excavation, which will be on display at DIG, strongly points to York having a history of gladiatorial combat.
“This latest research gives us a remarkable insight into the life – and death – of this particular individual, and adds to both previous and ongoing genome research into the origins of some of the men buried in this particular Roman cemetery,” said David Jennings, CEO of York Archaeology.
We may never know the full history, researcher says
He added: “We may never know what brought this man to the arena where we believe he may have been fighting for the entertainment of others, but it is remarkable that the first osteo-archaeological evidence for this kind of gladiatorial combat has been found so far from the Colosseum of Rome, which would have been the classical world’s Wembley Stadium of combat.”
Researchers said some of the gladiator skeletons were buried with gifts, and that the combat could have taken place in arena events held until the fourth century AD. Constantine was declared as Emperor of Rome in York, in 306AD.
