The world’s best-preserved gladiator burial ground (Driffield Terrace, Holgate)
In 2010 archaeologists announced that they had found the best preserved Roman Gladiator burial ground anywhere in the world.
Approximately 80 skeletons dating back from the late first century AD to the 4th century AD were found during excavations in the grounds of a large 18th century townhouse, located just off Tadcaster Road, one of the main Roman routes in to the city two millennia ago. The York Archaeological Trust provided the following evidence that the remains were a Gladiatorial graveyard:
- Evidence of large carnivore bite marks – probably inflicted by a lion, tiger or bear – an injury which must have been sustained in an arena context.
- Arm asymmetry of the skeletons which is consistent with weapons training that had already started in teenage years.
- The majority of skeletons were male, very robust and above average height.
- All the individuals were buried with some respect and 14 of them were interred together with grave goods to accompany them to the ‘next world’.
- The majority of the men had sustained brutal weapon injuries consistent with gladiatorial combat. Several of the skeletons had been decapitated. It is known that defeated gladiators were often “executed” in the arena by their opponents – but scholars have always thought that it was done by a sword stab to the throat rather than decapitation.
- Other remains sustained significant skull damage, suggesting they had been killed by a hammer blow to the head, a gladiatorial “coup de grace” for which evidence has also been uncovered at a major Roman graveyard in Ephesus, Turkey.
One man was buried with heavy weights, in the form of iron rings just above his ankles. Forensic examination of his lower leg bones suggests that he had probably worn them for several years. Only one other example of this is known – from remains uncovered at Pompeii – and it is likely that these men were forced to wear the rings as a punishment.
Decapitated Remains of a Roman Gladiator
Advanced mineral testing of tooth enamel also links the men to a wide variety of Roman provinces, including North Africa, which was another feature of gladiator recruitment. Gladiators were frequently brought to Britain from across the Mediterranean to fight, and York would likely have been a prominent centre for gladiatorial battles, as the capital of the North. York appears to have held major arena events until as late as the fourth century AD, avoiding the decline into the spectacle known as Venatio, or the hunt, which saw cash-starved provincial governors provide deer and even rabbits in place of the exotic beasts normally associated with gladiator spectaculars.
Visit the Unearthed Gallery at JORVIK Viking Centre to piece together this amazing discovery that has caused a stir across the world.
The research features in a Channel 4 documentary, Gladiators: Back from the Dead.
York’s Roman Amphitheatre?
Intriguingly the Roman amphitheatre (which would have been the size of a football pitch) has yet to be found in York, despite the discovery of such sites at several other major Roman settlements across England, such as Chester and Cirencester. However, in 2010 workmen discovered a Roman skeleton that may provide a vital clue to the location of the amphitheatre. The remains were found just below the foundations of the Yorkshire Museum during renovation work. Analysis of his skeleton suggests gladiator characteristics and a violent death. The skeleton was not buried ceremonially but discarded with rubbish, likely near the place of his death. It adds to the theory amongst some archaeologists that the amphitheatre may have been located somewhere in the large flat expanse of the Museum Gardens, which is very near the site of the original Roman Fort. Because the gardens are an important medieval site, excavation of the area has been limited. It remains one of the few untouched areas in the city that may have been large enough to house the amphitheatre. The remains of the Roman skeleton are now on display in the Yorkshire Museum.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/york/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9272000/9272041.stm
