First evidence of gladiator fight with lion seen in Roman-era skeleton

Bite marks on the pelvis of a man who lived in Roman-occupied Britain were probably made by a lion in gladiatorial combat.

The findings provide the first physical evidence that people battled animals in gladiator arenas in Europe, says Tim Thompson at Maynooth University in Ireland.

Gladiator spectacles involving wild cats, bears, elephants, and other animals are frequently described in Roman…