A new studyrecently published in the magazine Plos Oneon the other hand, demonstrated the presence of injury attributable to a combat with a lion On the skeletal remains resold in York of a gladiator lived at the end of the III century D C. in the Roman Britannia. The research was conducted by a British team led by the anthropologist Timothy Thompsonfrom the Maynooth University. Among the gladiators ofAncient Romevery widespread were the venationesor i Fighting against animals. Until recently, the only tests of the fighting between gladiators and lions in particular, they were those iconographic he is reports of ancient writers.
TO Yorkthe ancient Eburacumin northern England, in 2004 an ancient was found Roman cemeterydatable Between the II and the 4th century. A.D Most of the individuals buried in this necropolis It seems to have suffered a large number of trauma alivecared for and then healed; A large part then seems to have been killed through beheadingand also Almost all remains would belong to male individuals who died between 20 and 45 years oldfrom different parts of the empire. All these characteristics and the presence of very few assets of kit made British archaeologists believe that the one found in York was a cemetery for gladiators. In Roman times, Eburacum it was one of the main cities of Britannia, and the presence of an ‘arena For gladiator games.
The body on which the research of the Thompson team was concentrated has been appointed 6DT19and was buried together with two others, probably in the second half of the third century. A.D It was a male individual, who died beheaded between 24 and 35 years old. To affect the attention of scholars was the presence of Some particular wounds on both iliac bones (the hip bone, more precisely on the protruding part of the side), compatible with the tracks that can be left by bite of a great carnivorous. Not presenting traces of regeneration of the fabrics, these wounds had to have been inflicted Shortly before death. The beheading probably took place immediately after the fight, perhaps for put an end to suffering of the dying gladiator.
Based on comparisons With the traces left on the bones by the bites of different animals, the research team claims that the wounds may have been caused by a great felineprobably a lion. In the iconography of the Roman era The representations of combat between gladiators and large felines are quite common And in many images, the mode of attack of these animals seems to be similar to that described for 6DT19, or the bite alongside.
The presence of a lion in the north of England in Roman times must not be surprised: in the third century. A.D Eburacum it was one military garrison of great importance and often the presence of an arena in the provincial cities was linked to a conspicuous garrison of military, with close links with the Cultural sphere of North Africa Romano. Many officers and soldiers in service in Britain they came from these distant regionsand it cannot be excluded that have brought with them uses, traditions and even animalseven in the cruel practice of gladiator games.
