In the sewers deep beneath Rome ’s Colosseum , archaeologists have pick up the clay of some improbable gladiators . Along with bear bones and the skeletons of lions , they also set up the ancient corpse of wiener dogs .
The discovery comes as part of a new project that looked to explore the murky tunnels that lie beneath the world - notable Colosseum , the gigantic amphitheater that thrill thousands upon thousands ofancient Romansnearly 2,000 years ago .
Among their many find , the team of archaeologist unwrap “ the off-white of evil animate being , bears , lions , leopard , but also dogs , even dachshunds , ” according to theArchaeological Park of the Colosseum .
Animals were a unwashed form of bloody-minded entertainment in Roman amphitheater . It ’s well - known that lions , hyenas , leopards , elephant , ostriches , and hippos would be imported from Africa and beyond to be match against gladiator , who would “ hunt ” or fight them with weapons . Rare animals would also be put on video display or used to fight against other mintage .
It ’s unclear how sausage dogs jibe into this picture , although the discovery of their bones suggests their career as a gladiator would n’t be too successful . It ’s most likely that these small dogs were used as part of the " hunting " performances that would be display within the Colosseum for spectators .
The target of the dig was to better understand the plumbing of the ancient sewers . The subject began in January 2021 and involved trawling through around 70 meters ( 230 metrical foot ) of drain and sewer that are bury beneath the Colosseum .
“ The investigation involved the southern manifold , block up and out of use more or less since 523 CE , when the Colosseum stopped being an amphitheater and then became a sort of condominium , fortress , infirmary , and even a spinning mill”,saidMartina Almonte , drawing card of the project
Beyond the historical plumbery , the squad ended up slip up upon a number of fascinating shot ofdaily lifetime in ancient Rome .
They detect 50 bronze coin from the later Roman period and a silver coin go steady to around 171 atomic number 58 that immortalise 10 years of the rule of Marcus Aurelius , the philosopher and popish emperor from 161 to 180 CE , accord toReuters .
Perhaps these coins were tossed into the amphitheater by pump - up crowds , only to be sweep into the sewers along with the blood of fallen gladiators and slain brute .
On top of this , there was evidence of seeds from fruits such as figs , grapes , and melons , as well as traces of olives and nuts , which the researchers believe are the remnants of snacks eat by hungry spectators .
