Almost every epic Roman movie has a scene where a gladiator faces off in the arena against a lion or tiger, but only one Roman skeleton has ever been found in the world with evidence of large cat bites – and it is now on display at DIG: An Archaeological Adventure in St Saviourgate, York.
The skeleton was uncovered by York Archaeology in Driffield Terrace in York in 2004/5, one of 83 uncovered. All but one were young adult males, and 39 had been decapitated, the majority from behind. The skeletons were buried over a 200-year period, and some individuals had originated from other parts of the Empire including from the Middle East, mainland Europe and Mediterranean. All were of a similar height – matching the minimum height requirement for the Roman army.
“Looking at the skeletons as a group helps us to interpret who they are and why they were buried there – and a number of factors support one idea that these were gladiators, including the way the young men’s bodies had developed and the healed wounds you can see on their skeletons, from training or from combat” explains head of collections for York Archaeology, Christine McDonnell.
“What is unique about this skeleton is the marks on the pelvis. We’ve known for quite a while that they were animal bites, but new research led by Professor Tim Thompson from Maynooth University in Ireland has matched these marks with sample bites from large carnivores at a zoo, confirming that he was bitten several times by a lion. The fact that this had not healed indicates that this occurred around the time of his death and may have been the cause, although he was also decapitated.
This is the latest piece in a huge jigsaw that archaeologists and historians assemble to learn more about life in Roman York. However, with less than 5% of the Roman city having been excavated, many parts of the story – including the location of the amphitheatre where gladiatorial combat would have taken place – remain a mystery.
“What we do know is that bringing a lion to York would have been very expensive; likely captured in North Africa, purchasing the animal would have cost up to 150,00 sestertii, the equivalent of four year’s wages for a labourer. A lion was the ultimate gladiatorial spectacle – the most expensive animal you could buy – so clearly there were some incredibly wealthy individuals in York sponsoring these bouts, which took place over a long period,” adds David Jennings, chief executive of York Archaeology with a keen professional interest in Roman archaeology.
The Driffield Terrace burials were happening infrequently – a few bodies each year – so if gladiatorial combat was a key feature of Roman York, it took place over many generations, which is reflected in the geographic origins of some of the skeletons, as later burials feature the bodies of men raised in and around York, compared to the geographic diversity of the earlier burials.
The lion-scarred skeleton is a centrepiece in the Life in Death in Roman Eboracum exhibition at DIG: An Archaeological Adventure in York’s St Saviourgate, displayed alongside an artist’s impression of how the man’s face might have looked based on his southern European DNA and the shape of the skull. The hands-on family attraction hosts an adult-focused tour as the last tour of the day; perfect for any Roman enthusiasts. York Archaeology is also planning a talk on the Driffield Terrace burials, including the new research, as part of the Eboracum Roman Festival in May.
For more information, or to prebook, please visit the DIG Website.
