First Direct Evidence of Gladiator Fights Against Brown Bears

Fragmented brown bear cranium

VIMINACIUM, SERBIA—Scenes of gladiators battling wild beasts before packed crowds in Roman arenas are common in today’s popular culture. Ancient written sources record that one animal commonly chosen for these contests was the brown bear (Ursus arctos), though no direct physical evidence of this had ever been found. However, La Brújula Verde reports, a multidisciplinary research team led by Nemanja Marković of Serbia's Institute of Archaeology has recently confirmed that a fragmented animal skull recovered from the Roman city of Viminacium in eastern Serbia belonged to a brown bear that had suffered years in captivity. The animal bone was originally unearthed in 2016 during excavations of a building adjacent to Viminacium’s amphitheater, but was only recently subjected to microscopic analysis, X-rays, and DNA sequencing. The team determined that the beast was of local Balkan origin and around six years old when it died 1,700 years ago. Its frontal bone showed evidence of blunt force trauma likely inflicted by a venator, a skilled gladiator who fought against carnivorous animals. The bear did not die immediately from the blow, but from a subsequent infection. Excessive and abnormal wear on the beast’s canines hinted that it must have often nervously chewed the bars of its cage. According to the report, this likely indicates that the bear was a combatant in many contests throughout its life, and was probably one of Viminacium’s main attractions. To read about another discovery made in recent years near Viminacium, go to "Roman River Cruiser."

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