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[url:qoxtse1n]http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100607/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_gladiators__graveyard[/url]
Let the games begin. I thought we needed this one in it's own topic.
Craig Bellofatto
Going to college for Massage Therapy. So reading alot of Latin Terminology
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Are these the same headless horsemen ah skeletons which we all thought were victims of some heinous crime?
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/06 ... tml?hpt=C1
Here's another link to this. I just saw it this morning. How do they deduce that they were gladiators? From what I read I can't say conclusively that they were. Surely this will create some controversy here.
Andy Booker
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We went for about 2000 years without ever finding a gladiator burial. Then the Ridley Scott movie was a big hit. Now, you can't spade up your garden without striking a gladiator's grave.
Pecunia non olet
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Indeed! Controversy is bound to happen but the Archeologists themselves are saying that it is "possible" they found Gladiators.
They haven't made a ruling themselves if they are or are not. Time will tell hopefully they are right!
Craig Bellofatto
Going to college for Massage Therapy. So reading alot of Latin Terminology
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I am of the same oppinion as Svenja and Jurjen.
The main evidence put forward so far are the bite marks and these could just as well have belonged to noxii.
At least in Ephesos there were gravestones and other indications that Gladiators were buried there.
Olaf Küppers - Histotainment, Event und Promotion - Germany
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Would noxii be afforded decent burials?
The producers have patently gone with the gladiator theory full throttle, but the archaeologists are more cautious about it.
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I like how the YAT mentions a possible religious cult. Seems like I heard once about them being attacked by large animals in the arena and can see how they may have been decapitated after. Wouldn't that be just as possible as being gladiators? Also, wouldn't that be in agreement with burials as opposed to cremation? I agree with the statement about possibly being laborers to explain the larger arm development.
Andy Booker
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What do they mean by "larger arm development"? Are they talking about the right or the left arm? If the right, that would suggest a heavier sword or other weapon. If the left, a heavier shield. You would expect Roman soldiers to show greater left-arm development, perhaps Gauls wth heavier right-arm development. How about rowers? The inboard arm has a longer pull, so that arm and shoulder will show greater development. They're leaving too many things unclear. Is the skeleton with the tooth mark one of the ones that was beheaded? Is the tooth mark healed, indicating survival after the fight? There just isn't enough here.
Pecunia non olet
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You would expect soldiers to have some sign of their service buried with them, wouldn't you? ie equipment etc?
Also why would violent decapiation rule them out as soldiers? Big game bite ok, but decapitaion would seem to be an occupational hazard for soldiers, who's enemies main weapons were long swords swung violently at their heads?
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Byron Angel
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Not much armor in the Neck area... :?
Would gladiatorial arms & armor be buried or recycled for the next gladiator?
Craig Bellofatto
Going to college for Massage Therapy. So reading alot of Latin Terminology
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The website text by York Archaeol Trust (YAT) is not the definitive report and at least allows for other theories besides gladiators. And neither will the programme be the definitive report either, though it may address some of the questions that have been posed here. In due course, there will be a published monograph, which may answer a lot of questions, and doubtless raise many more - such is the nature of archaeology :lol:
I'm interested to see what YAT are going to put on their headless romans website next week!