A Gladiator Cemetery in York? Exploring the evidence, a talk by David Jennings, CEO York Archaeology

27 May 2025 | 7pm – 8.30pm | DIG, St Saviourgate, York | £5 per person | Book now

Recent news reports of the only physical evidence of a Roman man having been bitten by a lion, found in a Roman cemetery in York, raise the prospect of an encounter in the Roman arena as seen in numerous film and TV representations of the ancient world.

In this talk, we will review this latest evidence of a potential Gladiator cemetery alongside the extraordinary evidence from the other 81 people found in the excavations, 40 of whom had been decapitated and a number of whom displayed many unusual or distinctive characteristics.

We will dive deep into the world of these men, think about their lives, how they met their end and were laid to rest, giving you the chance to think about the evidence and decide for yourselves what the archaeology is telling us. 

Please note: the talk will show images of skeletons, showing evidence of injuries to bones and images from the classical world (Roman mosaics and sculptures) that show scenes of violence (including animals) and from the arena.  Given the archaeological evidence we will also talk about violence in the past.

Talk will take place at DIG, St Saviourgate, York YO1 8NN