Chronicles and records from Roman antiquity have for centuries described the bloody spectacles held in amphitheatres throughout the Roman Empire. In addition to gladiators, many types of beasts fought in them, and the brown bear (Ursus arctos) was often mentioned in sources.
However, physical evidence was absent from archaeological records, but that void has now been filled with a discovery in the heart of Viminacium, an ancient Roman city located in the area of modern-day Serbia, the magazine La Brujula Verde announced.
The discovery, made during a 2016 excavation in a building next to the amphitheatre’s arena, was subjected to a thorough analysis, the results of which represent the first undeniable osteological evidence of the participation of brown bears in arena spectacles. The multidisciplinary study combined techniques of physical anthropology, microscopic analysis, X-ray imaging, and ancient DNA sequencing to reconstruct the biography of this animal and the conditions of its captivity, providing an exceptionally detailed insight into the reality experienced by beasts intended for public entertainment.
Male Brown Bear
According to the conclusions of the study, published in the journal Antiquity, the individual examined was a male brown bear about six years old at the time of death. A comparison of its genetic profile, obtained from the discovered bone material, with the profile of modern populations from the region, determined that its origin was local, from the Balkans. This suggests the existence of a capture and supply chain for fauna that operated near the city enclave itself, thereby avoiding complex and expensive long-distance transport to supply the games held in Viminacium, the capital of the province of Upper Moesia.
The injuries identified on the skull are what tell a dark story about the animal’s life. Microscopic and radiological examination revealed a traumatic blow to the frontal bone, whose nature and location are consistent with a strike from a blunt weapon, likely inflicted by a venator, a specialized type of gladiator who fought against wild beasts as part of the spectacle.
Crucially, the fracture analysis shows a healing process that had begun but was not complete, which was seriously complicated by the development of a secondary infection that ultimately caused the bear’s death. This fact is fundamental, as it indicates that the animal survived the arena conflict in which it sustained the blow and was removed and kept alive for some time after the fight. This idea of prolonged captivity is further, and even more dramatically, supported by the condition of its teeth.
Tooth Wear of the Bear
The bear’s canines show excessive and abnormal wear, an abrasion pattern that researchers unequivocally attribute to constant and intense rubbing against the bars of a metal or wooden cage, which is a stereotypical behavior resulting from stress and prolonged captivity. Additionally, signs of periodontal disease were identified, another condition associated with captivity and a possible change in natural diet.
The combination of this evidence—the partially healed fracture and extreme tooth wear—presents an unequivocal picture: this bear was not an occasional combatant. The condition of its bones and teeth suggests it was confined for an extended period and participated in multiple spectacles during its life, as one of the regular attractions of the Viminacium amphitheater. After each show, it was returned to its cage to wait for the next, helplessly and anxiously chewing on the bars that restrained it.
The Viminacium case goes beyond a mere anecdotal discovery. It provides the first physical confirmation, based on a scientific analysis of bone remains, of a fact that has been told a thousand times but has never before been documented in such a tangible way concerning a brown bear, the magazine states. It confirms the importance of this species in the economy of the Roman spectacle and provides material evidence of the complex, and often brutal, relationships between humans and wild fauna in the ancient world.
MORE TOPICS:
AMERICAN MEDIA: Police stormed peaceful demonstrators who oppose authoritarian rule!
Source: Telegraf; Foto: Wikimedia Creative Commons