World

Roman gladiator graveyard found in England

14:05 pm on 8 June 2010

British archaeologists believe they may have found the world's best preserved graveyard for Roman gladiators in York in the north of England.

More than 80 skeletons have been unearthed in the past 10 years and as most had been decapitated it had been thought they were victims of a massacre.

Now re-examination of the bones has shown most would have had strongly developed muscles in their right arms.

Roman writers had noted this in gladiators.

One skeleton had bite marks possibly from a lion.