Gladiator graveyard discovered in northern England

[Judi Lynn]

Gladiator graveyard discovered in northern England
By SYLVIA HUI, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jun 7, 1:14 pm ET

LONDON – Dozens of headless skeletons excavated from a northern English building site appear to be the remains of Roman gladiators, one of whom had bites from a lion, tiger, bear or other large animal, archaeologists said Monday.

Experts said new forensic evidence suggests the bones belong to the professional fighters, who were often killed while entertaining spectators.

Most of the skeletons were male and appeared stronger and taller than the average Roman, with signs of arm-muscle stress that suggest weapons training that began in the men's teenage years.

The team investigating the remains said that one of the best clues was carnivore tooth marks found on the hip and shoulder of one of the skeletons.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100607/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_gladiators__graveyard

[cally]

1. I didn't know the Romans imported

lions and tigers into England for their Gladiator fights. I knew they did in Rome but not that far away. Thanks

[sybylla]

2. Bears were local

My guess is that lions and tigers join the list simply because they were a Roman tradition and the examination of the teeth marks can't rule them out.