It turned out that the 1800 skeleton at the Roman cemetery in York, England, belonged to the gladiator who died during the battle with Leo in the arena.
The signs of the bite on the skeleton were the first archaeological evidence of the epic struggle between the gladiator and the lion.
It was found that the fighter was a strong structured and previously wounded person aged 26-35.
The most amazing discovery was the wound of a bite on the femur.
Malin Holste, a teacher at the Department of Osteoarkeology at the University of York University, said in his statement the Daily Mail: “The scars of the bite are probably made by a lion, skeletons buried in the cemetery, as at first glance, and not soldiers or slaves,” he said, ”he said.
“These conclusions are the first osteological confirmation of people who fight the great carnivorous animals in the Roman world, that is, fighting at an entertainment event.”
Experts, unfortunately, said that the wound of the bite did not heal and probably leads to death.
Researchers compared scars with examples taken from the zoo to understand exactly which animal was caused by a fatal bite.
“The Roman battles of gladiators and animal shows were largely based on historical texts and artistic images,” Professor Tim Thompson from the University of Mayland in Ireland said: “Roman battles and animals.”
“This discovery provides the first direct, physical proof that such events took place during this period and changed our perception of the Roman entertainment culture in the region.”
The skeleton was removed from the Driffield Terrace, one of the best saved cemeteries in the world discovered in 2010.
Here, researchers study the remains of 82 young people whose skeletons are found.