Evidence of a Gladiator Bear in the Roman Empire Found in a 1,700-Year-Old Skull
In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of blood sports in the Roman arenas, specifically at the Viminacium amphitheater in Serbia. The findings suggest that the demand for spectacles involving wild animals shaped the environment and created a supply chain around games.
The star attraction, a six-year-old male brown bear, discovered near the entrance of the amphitheater in 2016, had a shattered skull with evidence of captivity and combat. Radiological scans of the bear's skull suggest that it survived at least one bloody encounter in the arena before dying from disease.
Nemanja Marković, senior research associate at the Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade, stated that the evidence suggests the bear's trauma occurred during spectacles in the arena. The bear's skull shows signs of a massive blow to the forehead, likely from a spear, and subsequent infection that led to its death.
The bear's teeth show signs of abnormal wear and gum disease, indicating it was kept in captivity for years, not just weeks. This suggests that bears were likely regular attractions in the Viminacium amphitheater, often fighting against venatores (hunters) or bestiarii (specialists who fought wild animals).
The amphitheater of Viminacium, a Roman military base and city, could seat up to 7,000 spectators. The schedule of the Viminacium amphitheater included morning animal hunts, midday executions, and afternoon gladiator duels.
The discovery of the local Balkan bear and the leopard remains provides further evidence of the use of animals in Roman arenas. Archaeologists found the remains of a leopard at the same spot, indicating that exotic animals were sometimes brought to Viminacium for sport.
This new finding regarding the bear and leopard remains was published in the journal Antiquity. The organisers of the Viminacium amphitheater tapped into nearby wildlife as a source of animals for their games, creating a supply chain that extended beyond the arena's walls.
The discovery sheds light on the brutal nature of Roman entertainment, with gladiators in Roman Britain, such as the one in Roman York, possibly fighting lions and other exotic beasts in arenas. The supply chain for animals in Viminacium's games included capture, confinement, and slaughter of nearby wildlife.
As we delve deeper into the past, these findings offer a stark reminder of the lengths to which humans have gone to entertain themselves, and the impact such practices had on the environment and the animals involved.
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