Headless Gladiators Had Exotic Origins

November 05, 2010

Skeletons buried in a British cemetery had exotic origins and diets.
A multi-isotopic analysis revealed that they came from different parts of Britain and the Roman Empire.
At least two headless Romans ate an diet based on millet, suggesting an Eastern European origin.

Britain's enigmatic "headless Romans" lost their heads far away from home, according to a multi-isotopic analysis of the 1,800-year-old skeletal remains.

Unearthed between 2004 and 2005 in a cemetery in York, England, the remains belong to 80 individuals, almost all males, who died violently at ages ranging between 19 and 45.

At least 46 of them had been carefully decapitated, with their heads placed by or between their legs or pelvis.

Believed by some to be gladiators, losing their heads after their last fight, the heavily built men were buried in one of the most prestigious cemeteries of York during the 2nd and 3rd century A.D.

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A detail of ancient Roman marble reliefs depicting gladiators in combat. Scientists have analyzed 1,800-year-old skeletons found in York that are believed to have been slain gladiators

Excavationists uncover what is believed to be the greatest find of gladiator bones ever: Video

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Headless Gladiator Graveyard Unearthed

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Original 'Gladiator' Tomb found in Rome

news.discovery.com...

Some of these burials could represent religious rituals, they say that that they were a diverse group of people who came from Britain and the Roman Empire.

They assumed that they were male, or least most of them, would make sense as not so sure that there were female Gladiators, where ever they came from it is certainly an amazing fine that is a work in progress. If they stood out from the others in York it stands to reason that they were not from there, Rome would be my guess.

A slightly earlier article, which mentions scars from lion bites and hammer blows to the decapitated skulls as additional signs these were gladiators.

Scars from lion bite suggest headless Romans found in York were gladiators - June 7 2010

Well, if anyone was wondering just how brutal it was to be a Roman gladiator, here's your answer!

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Thank for the link, they were certainly a gruesome lot, what a way to make a living, lions, tigers and bears, I have never watched the moive 'Gladiators', maybe one day.

The curious part to me is the beheadings.

It's not a common form of death in gladiatorial combat -- not all gladiators fought with the gladius (short sword) and the other weapons like the trident wouldn't have beheaded anyone. The gladius used in the games is a short sword/very long knife and not the sort of thing that would behead anyone (without a lot of chopping and hacking.)

I'd be curious to know if these appeared to be executions (after a revolt, say, or after a war that took a Roman town) or if they appeared to be sacrifices. Romans didn't practice human sacrifice, but some of the Celtic tribes apparently did.

Very curious.

Originally posted by ByrdI'd be curious to know if these appeared to be executions (after a revolt, say, or after a war that took a Roman town) or if they appeared to be sacrifices. Romans didn't practice human sacrifice, but some of the Celtic tribes apparently did.

But did Romans execute people like this? I seem to recall reading that beheadings in Roman times where "a favor", sort of speak... They had far worse things in stock for their enemies.

Somehow rebellious Gladiators doesnt really sounds like they would be beheaded.

Well anyway, here's another theory: Its the callsign of a rather successful and brutal gladiator. I can just imagine the roar of the crowd when the "Beheader" is meeting an opponent

So I looked up beheading and execution... good question. According to one site (we can check on this), beheading was used in the Roman empire but only for Roman citizens. It was considered less humiliating than crucifixion.

source: www.capitalpunishmentuk.org...

I don't see it as the result of gladitorial combat or war, since it is VERY hard to behead anyone with a gladius (short sword) and none of the other weapons of combat can behead the opponent. To behead with a sword, you need the person to put their head on a chopping block. Movies aside, even with a sharp sword, the executioner of one of Henry's wives took 7 strokes just to cut her head off. The guillotine was considered the most merciful type of beheading.

Beheading was also done post-mortem if the heads were to be put on display.
en.wikipedia.org...

Dunno. We should poke around and see what else we can find on this very gruesome topic.

reply to post by Byrd

this very gruesome topic.

Indeed it is a very gruesome topic, not sure I want to know anymore. I appreciate the research you are doing on this Byrd, thanks.

reply to post by Aquarius1


I live in York, and as fascinating a find as this is, it is not really new at all. The reason that they are pushing this story as hard as they are in the media, I think this must be the fourth time this has been reshaped into new news in the last twelve months, is to try and draw in funding. If these burials were gladiators, that suggests an arena or ampitheatre somewhere, and that would mean tourist revenue, and it's glitzy enough to attract investment. Basically, they keep changing their pitch in the hope of finding the right buyer, but it isn't anything new, it is just seen, locally, as the best means of getting in outside investment. You can't stick a spade in the ground in York without hitting something Roman, but getting to that material, removing it and preserving it, is a very costly business. Each time a pipe bursts in the city centre, it ends up costing a fortune, and York was already economically depressed before the recession, history is a real drain on the local economy when tourism is not playing it's part to support it.

reply to post by KilgoreTrout


Nice to hear from someone who lives in the area that this is taking place, it makes a lot sense, funny isn't it that it's always about the money. If they are finding so much evidence when will it end. Does this area attract a lot of archaeologists.?

Thanks for posting.

Originally posted by Byrd
I'd be curious to know if these appeared to be executions (after a revolt, say, or after a war that took a Roman town) or if they appeared to be sacrifices. Romans didn't practice human sacrifice, but some of the Celtic tribes apparently did.

I am almost sure the Roman Britons, who may have been assimilated from Britons previously assimilated by Celts (complicated much!), practised divination by reading the 'innards' of their human sacrifices, as did Celts. The Roman culture was the desirable culture for those who sought power and wealth, just as it had previously been the Celts, the Celts were not the people they were the cultural influence, the principle traders with the British Isles.

Neither culture, as such, conquered Britain, they merely controlled trade in those areas that they established posts in. When the Romans took over, some switched sides with greater ease than others, the Romans appear to have been particularly adept at using Mithriac cultic practices as a means of drawing in warrior and hunter secret societies to the legions. Very similar ideals. The Celts on the otherhand used a lot of 'magic' to fool the poor ignorant folk and thus had a more benign occupational influence. And we only really have the Roman's word on the human sacrifices, and they did some truly horrible things to Celts themselves. Pot. Kettle. Not really to be trusted.

Actually, no, if the beheading took place post mortem then a gladius would be a sufficient instrument to 'saw' of the head in a leisurely fashion to then display to the crowd or the official presiding over the games.

This would have likely been a way to signify to the crowd that the opponent was indeed dead.

This was probably most often done with condemned criminals sentenced to die by gladiatorial combat as opposed to gladiators fighting gladiators just for the money and for the crowd’s entertainment.

It would have signified that the State’s justice was total and complete and sent a chilling but also exciting message to the blood thirsty crowds.

Oh how I miss the good old days.

Oh well, it’s Sunday night, time to take out the trash.