Bite marks found on Roman skeleton prove gladiators fought big cats

23/04/2025

Bite marks on a Roman-era skeleton found in York are the first physical evidence gladiators fought animals, experts have said.

Teeth imprints from a large cat were found on the pelvis of a man buried in a cemetery believed to contain the remains of gladiators.

Images of gladiators being mauled by lions have been featured on mosaics and pottery, but this is the first time skeletal evidence of the fighting has been found.

Academics said the bones showed distinct lesions and were identified as coming from a large cat, probably a lion, after being compared with modern zoological teeth marks.

The man is estimated to have been aged between 26 and 36 years old when he died and appears to have lived during the 3rd century AD, when York was known as Eboracum and was a town and military base in the Roman province of Britannia.

Professor Becky Gowland, from Durham University’s Department of Archaeology, said: “This is an exciting new analysis and the first direct evidence of human-animal spectacle in Roman Britain and beyond.

“It also raises important questions about the importance and transport of exotic animals across the Roman Empire.”

The researchers want to find out how lions came to be kept in Britain and the lives of gladiators on the edge of the Roman Empire.

‘First direct, physical evidence’

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, was led by Tim Thompson, professor of anthropology and vice president for students and learning at Maynooth University, Ireland, who said: “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.”

Written by: Pippa Taylor

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