Bite marks from a large cat, likely a lion, found in a ancient skeleton are the “first physical evidence” that gladiators fought animals in Roman amphitheaters, new research shows.

A man who lived in Roman-occupied Britain was bitten by a big cat, probably in a gladiator arena, an analysis of his remains has revealed

Skeletal remains in a Roman burial ground in northern England were found to have lesions that looked suspiciously like bite marks. Modern forensic techniques found that the teeth behind the marks probably belonged to a large feline, and the part of the skeleton that had been in the creature’s mouth further indicated it must have been a lion.