Bites on gladiator bones first evidence of combat with lion

Experts say the signs of the sting on the skeleton of a Roman wrestler are the first archaeological evidence of fighting between man and lion.

The remains were discovered during the 2004 digging at Drifield Terrace, in York, which is now believed to be the only Roman Gladiator Cemetery well preserved in the world.

The criminal examination of the skeleton of one young man revealed that holes and signs of sting on the sink were probably caused by a lion.

Professor Tim Thompson, a forensic expert who led the study, said this was a “material guide” for wrestlers fighting big cats.

He said: “For years, our understanding of the Roman fighting and animal manifestations depended greatly on historical texts and artistic photography.”

“This discovery provides the first direct material evidence that such events took place during this period, which reshapes our perception of the Romanian entertainment culture in the region.”

Experts used new forensic techniques to analyze wounds, including 3D exams that showed that the animal was caught by the pelvis.

“We can tell that the bites occurred at the time of death,” said Professor Thompson, from the University of Mainouth, in Ireland.

“So this was not an animal that dug after the death of the individual – he was associated with his death.”

In addition to wiping the wound, scientists compared its size and shape by taking a sample of large cats in the London Zoo.

Professor Thompson told BBC News: “The signs of the sting in this particular individual match the lion of the lion,” Professor Thompson told BBC News.

The bites gave researchers more information about the wrestler death conditions.

Professor Thompson explained that the pelvis is the place where lions usually attack, so we believe that this wrestler was fighting in a kind of scene and was powerless, and that Assad wrapped him and made him away by hip. “

The skeleton, a male between the ages of 26 and 35, was buried in a grave with two others and a high horse bones.

The previous bone analysis indicated that it is better – a wrestler sent to the fighting with monsters.

“You haven’t seen anything like these signs of sting,” said Malin Holst, a supreme lecture in osteoporosis at York University.

In addition, she said that the remains of a man revealed the story of “a short and somewhat brutal life.”

His bones were formed by large and strong muscles and there was evidence of injuries in his shoulder and spine, which was associated with difficult physical work and fighting.

“This is a very exciting discovery because we can now start building a better image of what these wrestlers were in life,” added Ms. Holst, also the administrative director of the Orthopedic bone science.

She said that the results, published in the Journal of Science and Medical Research, also confirmed “the presence of large cats and other strange animals in the squares in cities such as York, and how they also had to defend themselves from the threat of death.”

Experts said that the discovery added a weight to the proposal that was most likely present in a runway, although it was not found yet, and there was a fight of wrestlers as a form of entertainment.

Experts said that the presence of distinguished Roman leaders in York meant that they were required to lift a lifestyle, so it was not surprising that there was evidence of wrestling events, which served as a display of wealth.

“We may never know what brought this man to the scene where we believe that he may have been fighting for entertainment to others, but it is striking that the first evidence of the bone in the world’s combat world,” said David Jennings, CEO of Archeology at York.