A new study of the Roman skeleton has revealed shocking evidence of fights between gladiators and lions.
According to CNN, a skeleton discovered from a Roman-era cemetery in England’s Driffield Terrace, which archaeologists believe was a gladiator graveyard, might mark the first physical evidence of a battle between gladiators and animals.
A study published on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in the journal PLOS One, researched the skeleton of a man who died and was buried between 1,825 and 1,725 years ago in an area now known as York in England.
The skeleton of a man aged between 26 and 35 had marks of a bite from a large cat, most probably a lion, on the pelvis.
The study coauthor Malin Holst, lecturer in osteoarchaeology at the University of York, explained, “The bite marks were likely made by a lion, which confirms that the skeletons buried at the cemetery were gladiators, rather than soldiers or slaves.”
“As initially thought, this represents the first osteological confirmation of human interaction with large carnivores in a combat or entertainment setting in the Roman world… This is a hugely exciting find because we can now start to build a better image of what these gladiators were like in life,” he added.
He asserted that the finding also confirms the presence of large cats and potentially other exotic animals in arenas and cities like York and sheds light on how they use to defend themselves from the death threat.
Furthermore, the study also highlights that Roman culture and lifestyle included gladiator arenas that featured fights with animals from other countries.
