An image of a gladiator on a brick
According to a 2015 study, the skulls and remains of bodies found in central London may have belonged to Roman gladiators, prisoners of war, and criminals. The remnants belonged to about 40 men, mostly aged 25-35, who died between 120-160 CE.
As indicated by Rebecca Redfern, curator and bioarchaeologist at the London Museum, the skulls have numerous cheek fractures, traces of blunt and sharp weapons, and decapitation.
In Roman times, the excavation area near the London Wall was crowded with sawmills and shoemakers’ workshops. However, there was also an amphitheatre and a brook in the area, where ritual murders could take place near the last one.
Sources
- Discovery.com
