Archaeologists unearth unexpected find inside a tomb likely belonging to a Roman gladiator

Ashlyn Messier
Thu, October 10, 2024 


Archaeologists unearth unexpected find inside a tomb likely belonging to a Roman gladiator

In Turkey, a team of archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Roman gladiator dating back to the third century B.C., with the remains of 12 individuals inside.

The tomb was unearthed during the excavation of St. John Monument in Selcuk, Izmir, Turkey, according to Türkiye Today. The excavation was authorized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and led by associate professor Sinan Mimaroglu from Hatay Mustafa Kemal University’s Department of Art History, according to the source.

While the tomb was from the third century B.C., it was determined that it was later reused during the fifth century A.D., to hold the remains of the 12 men and women, Türkiye Today reported.

The Roman gladiator buried in the tomb was named Euphrates, per the source. In ancient Roman times, gladiators were professional fighters who engaged in battle in front of crowded arenas.

Many early gladiators were enslaved peoples and those who committed crimes, though that wasn't always the case, History.com reported. With the growing popularity of these battles, men began to voluntarily sign up to participate, according to the source.

Gladiators would typically engage in one on one combat, under the monitoring of a referee, according to The Colosseum's website. While early battles were often fought to the death, this less commonly became the case as the games continued, and as fighters underwent intense and expensive training and were costly to replace, according to the source.

Roman gladiators fought bloody battles in arenas full of spectators.

Historians estimate that around one in five or one in 10 battles ended in the death of one combatant, according to History.com. Many gladiators only lived to their mid-20s, per the source.

Tombs similar to the one belonging to Euphrates have been found in Istanbul, Marmara Island and Syria, according to Türkiye Today.

Inside the tomb recently unearthed by archaeologists, there were crosses carved within, dating back to the fifth century, as well as on the lid, which are thought to have been added during the seventh and eighth centuries, according to the source.

The tomb was found at St. John Monument in Selcuk, Izmir, Turkey.

Not much is known about the 12 who were buried inside the tomb, but it's believed they came from an upper-class background.

"The burials inside the church likely belong to the upper class or clergy, as it’s unlikely an ordinary person would be buried in such a meticulous manner within a church," Mimaroglu said, per Türkiye Today.

The finding of this tomb holds significance in many different ways, including giving researchers more knowledge of the ancient city of Ephesus as well as ancient burial practices, the source notes.


50 Viking Corpses Could Crack the History Books Wide Open.

Michael Natale
Thu, October 10, 2024 


Archaeologists recently discovered the remains of more than 50 Vikings, as well as the artifacts they were buried with, in a Danish village.

The ground in which the bodies were found had soil conditions and water levels amenable to excellent preservation, meaning that researchers can study the ancient DNA.

Items uncovered at the site include a wagon, a decorated wooden chest and rock quartz, but further analyses and discoveries will paint an even more detailed picture of this specific Viking society.

The remains of more than 50 Vikings were uncovered recently in Åsum, a village in Denmark, and their remarkable condition could offer incredible insight into the lives they led.

As reported in Archaeology Magazine, a team of archaeologists from Museum Odense were conducting an excavation of the area ahead of a planned upgrade of the local electrical grid. During their dig, they uncovered a burial ground, measuring roughly 2,000 square meters, which held “more than 50 exceptionally well-preserved skeletons,” along with five cremation graves. The site has been dated back to the 9th and 10th centuries.

“Normally when we excavate Viking graves,” said Michael Borre Lundø, an archaeologist and curator at Museum Odense, “we’d be lucky if there were two teeth left in the grave besides the grave goods...but here we have the skeletons fully preserved. This opens up a whole new set of possibilities for discoveries.”

The remarkable preservation of these skeletons, which is attributed to “favorable soil conditions and high water levels” at the site, means it may be possible to conduct ancient DNA (referred to as “aDNA”) analyses on the remains. “This discovery offers extraordinary opportunities to perform a wide range of scientific analyses,” noted Lundø, “which can reveal more about the general health, diet, and origins of those buried.”

But some information can be gleaned, even before aDNA testing, just from what else was found at the burial site. The most striking example might be the remains of a woman who was buried in a wagon, likely one she used within her lifetime. Some of the artifacts she was buried with suggest this woman was of high status in her lifetime.

“Her grave goods included a glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a handle wrapped in silver thread, and a small shard of glass that may have served as an amulet,” Archaeology Magazine noted of the artifacts found with the body. Even more enticing is a “finely decorated wooden chest” found at the foot of her grave, the contents of which have yet to be uncovered.

Other artifacts found at the site include a piece of rock crystal, a transparent form of quartz not native to Denmark, indicating trade between these Danish Vikings and people other regions, like Norway. Further analysis, of both the deceased and the items buried with them, will likely paint an even more detailed picture of the lives they and their people lived.