Gladiators
This 1,700-year-old bear skull tells a disturbing story about life in Roman amphitheaters
First osteological evidence confirms brown bears participated in deadly spectacles, suffering spear wounds and living behind bars for years.
2,000-year-old garlanded sarcophagus found in City of Gladiators
Pelvis bite marks on Roman skeleton reveal gladiator battles with big cats
Gladiator tomb found in Liternum necropolis in Campania
Re-evaluation of 2nd century Colchester vase fleshes out Roman-era gladiator fights in Britain
An inscription on the vase names gladiators Memnon and Valentinus, suggesting it commemorates a real combat event in Colchester.
A Scandinavian Roman gladiator in York: Research shows pre-viking Scandinavian genes in Britain
DNA analysis shows 25% of genes in a man buried in York came from northern Europe.
Roman sewage found in the "City of Gladiators" kept draining water effectively for 2,250 years
Recent excavations in the ancient city of Stratonikeia discovered a sewage system large enough to walk in.
Airbnb’s Colosseum Gladiator Experience draws outrage
The event is part of the promotion for Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator II', but locals fear it trivializes the monument's heritage.
Shaped like a gladiator: Rare 2,000-year-old Roman knife handle discovered in England
The knife handle is a testament to how pervasive the gladiator celebrity culture was in the Roman Empire, reaching all the way to Hadrian’s Wall at the very edge of the Roman Empire.
A Jewish gladiator in Roman Pompeii?
A helmet found in the ruins of the famous Roman city wiped out by a volcano eruption a few years after the destruction of Jerusalem depicts a palm tree, a symbol of Judea.
Were there Jewish gladiators in the Roman Empire?
A new scholarly article examines the historical evidence of Jewish participation in the gladiatorial arena.
