While images of gladiators fighting lions have appeared in ancient mosaics and pottery, this is the only convincing skeletal evidence from the Roman world of bite marks produced by the teeth of a large cat, detected thanks to innovative forensic work.
Dr John Pearce, Reader in Archaeology, King's Department of Classics
23 April 2025
'Bite marks' prove Gladiators fought lions – new research shows
Dr John Pearce collaborates on research showing first skeletal evidence of gladiator bitten by lion in combat.
The research presents compelling skeletal evidence of a human victim attacked by a large carnivorous animal, likely within the context of Roman-era spectacle combat. The study was conducted by an international team of archaeologists, forensic anthropologists and osteologists, led by Tim Thompson, Maynooth University, where Dr John Pearce, Reader in Archaeology in King’s Department of Classics provided integral contextual interpretation.
The findings centre on a single adult male skeleton discovered in a Roman-period cemetery outside York in England, a site believed to contain the remains of gladiators. The individual’s bones exhibited distinct lesions that, upon close examination and comparison with modern zoological specimens, were identified as bite marks from a large feline species. The bite marks on the pelvis of the skeleton represent the first osteological confirmation of violent human encounters with large carnivores in a combat or entertainment setting in the Roman world.
Professor Thompson outlined the significance of the discovery: “For years, our understanding of Roman gladiatorial combat and animal spectacles has relied heavily on historical texts and artistic depictions. This discovery provides the first direct, physical evidence that such events took place in this period, reshaping our perception of Roman entertainment culture in the region.”
The research, published in the journal of science and medical research PLoS One, is a collaboration between leading institutions including Maynooth University, Cranfield University, Durham University, the University of York, King’s College London, York Archaeological Trust, and York Osteoarchaeology Ltd. It highlights the brutality of these spectacles and their reach beyond Rome’s core territories.
The study contributes a vital new dimension to our knowledge of Roman Britain, revealing the surprising depth of the region’s connection to the empire’s entertainment traditions. These findings offer new avenues for research into the presence of exotic animals in Roman-period Britain and the lives of those involved in gladiatorial combat.
The logistics of transporting live large animals from the Mediterranean to northern England must have been complicated and expensive, likely piggy-backing on military supply routes. If north Africa is being plundered for its big cat apex predators not just for games in Rome but also for the northern provinces of the empire too then the ecological implications are significant. For every lion brought for games for York (or other Roman cities and camps such as London, Cologne, or Carnuntum) many more must have expired en route.
Dr John Pearce, Reader in Archaeology, King's Department of Classics
This and other recent research on gladiators in Roman Britain, also involving King’s researchers is incorporated in a current exhibition, co-organised by the British museum and regional partners. It is currently on display in Dorchester and moves soon to Northampton museum and later in 2025 and 2026 to Chester and Carlisle.
The full research paper -- Unique osteological evidence for human-animal gladiatorial combat in Roman Britain -- is available here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0319847
Authors:
Lead: Professor Tim Thompson, Department of Anthropology, Maynooth University, Ireland
Dr David Errickson, Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University, UK; Christine McDonnell, York Archaeology, UK; Malin Holst, Department of Archaeology, University of York & York Osteoarchaeology, UK; Dr Anwen Caffell, Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK; Dr John Pearce, Department of Classics, King’s College London, UK; Prof Rebecca L. Gowland, Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK
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Reader in Archaeology