For centuries, the chronicles and representations of gladiators they showed bears who fought with armed men in the arena. Now, a study conducted in Serbia offers the first material test that these animals were really protagonists of the venationes: a brown bear skull tells its history of captivity, wounds and fights. The participation of bears to the Roman gladiator games In fact, it is attested by numerous iconographic and written sources, e remains of brown bears (Ursus Arctos) have been found in some archaeological contexts related to amphitheatri, but only recently the study of a skull of a male of about 6 years of age found in the Ancient Amphitheater ViminaciumToday Kostolac in Serbiaseems to have found confirmation not only of the participation of a bear in the fighting, but also of the state of captivity in which the animal was held.
Viminaciumfounded as military centerwas one of the main Roman cities in the territory of the current Serbia. Like many other military cities, it was equipped with a amphitheater to host venationes and gladiatorii games, some of the Favorite activities of the soldiers stationed at the frontier of the Empire. The bear skull topic of the study was found in 2016 A few meters away from the amphitheater, in an archaeological layer dated between III and IV century A.D which has returned the bone remains of numerous Other animalslike other bears and a leopard.
The skull, fragmentary but well preserved, allowed one multidisciplinary study (published on Antiquity) which saw the contribution of thearchaeozoology (the science that deals with the study of animal remains in archaeological contexts), of paleopathology (the study of diseases on ancient remains) and of DNA Ancient. The research group, led by Nemanja marković ofInstitute of Archeology of Belgrademade use of the collaboration of scholars affiliated to the universities of BelgradeOf Warsaw and of theIndiana. The crossed data made it possible to obtain numerous information. The individual of Orso Bruno was of maledied at about Six years of ageprobably in the autumn, considering the dental growth: the study of the Dentation of the animal and of thefrontal bone of the skull.
The teeth presented details traces of wearand on the jaw they were present evident signs of a chronic alveolar osteomyelitisan inflammation of the rather common bone in numerous animals kept in captivity also in modern contexts (especially zoo animals), connected directly with the action of chew the bars of the cage. The front bone of the brown bear of Viminacium also had one showy depression on the left side. It is probably a trauma caused byImpact of a pointed objectperhaps the tip of a spearconsidering the size. The traces of the formation of new bone tissue around the wound and a subsequent one infection testify how the animal is survivor For a time after the wound.
In the numerous representations Of venationes notes throughout the empire, the spear, one of the tools from hunting By Antonomasia, it was one of the most used weapons. The study of DNA of the bear also shown that the animal it came from the local population of brown bears of the Balkans, still present, suggesting that it had probably been captured in the areanot far from Viminacium. Numerous military inscriptions Throughout the Empire testify to the existence at the legionary fortresses (such as Viminacium) of the Ursariithat is, specialized hunters in the capture of bears.
Although the remains of bears are attested in different archaeological contexts linked to gladiatorii games, until now there was no direct proof of fights that involved these animals, outside the iconographic and literary sources. The Archeozoological study of the skull made it possible to recognize in the remains of this specimen of Bruno Bear there First archaeological test at the bone level of combat between gladiators and bears inside amphitheatri in Roman times.
