Roman Gladiators fought BEARS in the arena, fossil evidence reveals

"Scientists in Serbia have presented the first fossil evidence of a brown bear (Ursus arctos) that took on human fighters in Roman amphitheatre. The unfortunate mammal's preserved skull reveals that it suffered a sharp blow the head which may have contributed to its untimely death. It likely fought and died in a Roman amphitheatre at Viminacium, a important Roman settlement in modern-day Serbia, experts say. This oval fortress, akin to today's football stadiums, was capable of holding 12,000 spectators, all baying for blood."

"The brown bear skull was excavated in 2016 near the remains of the amphitheatre at Viminacium, which was an important military base at the Roman frontier. According to the new analysis, the bear was male and 'most likely originated from the local Balkan brown bear population' prior to capture. 'It remains possible that civilians [and] professional hunters... were involved in capturing beasts for games,' the team say."

"During battle, the bear had suffered an impact fracture to the frontal bone - a traumatic injury possibly inflicted by a spear. Sadly, the healing of this large lesion was impaired by a secondary infection, which it was trying to fight off around time of death, aged six years old. 'Lesions observed on the frontal bone are consistent with an impact fracture that shows signs of healing but which subsequently became infected, leading to osteomyelitis (inflammation of the bone),' the team add."

A male brown bear skull from Viminacium shows a healed impact fracture to the frontal bone and evidence of secondary infection consistent with osteomyelitis. The skull was excavated in 2016 near the amphitheatre, an oval fortress capable of holding about 12,000 spectators. The bear was approximately six years old at death and most likely originated from the local Balkan population before capture. The injury pattern indicates a violent blow, possibly from a spear, and the resulting infection likely contributed significantly to the animal's death. Capture of such beasts may have involved civilians or professional hunters.

Read at Mail Online