A Roman skeleton found in York shows bite marks from a lion, offering the first physical evidence of gladiators fighting wild animals.

Archaeologists working at Driffield Terrace, a well-preserved Roman cemetery in York, have uncovered the first direct physical evidence of gladiatorial combat between a human and fierce, wild animal. The breakthrough came through a close forensic analysis of bite marks found on one of the 82 robust male skeletons excavated at the site.

Bite marks from a large cat, likely a lion, found in a ancient skeleton are the “first physical evidence” that gladiators fought animals in Roman amphitheaters, new research shows.