Lions, bears, tigers, hyenas – and dachshunds? The gladiator fights in ancient Rome are notorious. In rows, wild animals were slaughtered by fighters in front of the well-filled ranks or had to tear themselves to pieces. The need for large mammals was so immense that many species in the catchment area of the empire actually became extinct. However, in the middle of the bones of predatory cats and co, researchers also found the remains of small dogs, which it is assumed that they would rather not be led into battle. And yet archaeologists also discovered skeletal parts of dachshunds in the catacombs of the Colosseum, the Parco archeologico del Colosseo reported.
The aim of the excavations was actually an examination of the sewage systems under the Colosseum. The study began in January 2021, whereby around 70 meters of drain pipes and sewers that are buried under the construction were searched. Sometimes the team members crawled through narrow ditches that were still damp. »Our investigation concerned the southern sewer, which has been an amphitheater since 523 AD, when the Colosseum ended, and became a kind of residential building, a fortress, a hospital and even a spinning mill, and more or less out of operation Was, ”wrote Martina Almonte, head of the project, on Twitter.
What part the dachshunds played in the performances is still unclear. However, Almonte and Co are more likely to assume that it was a supporting role. In the fight against the big predators, they would have been completely inferior: the spectacle would probably have ended too quickly. It is likely that hunting scenes were replayed in which the dogs appeared as trackers and companions of the hunters, according to the researchers.
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In addition, the investigation provided an insight into everyday Roman life. The archaeologists found around 50 bronze coins from the late Roman period and a silver coin from around 171 AD, which commemorates the ten-year reign of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher and Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Spectators may have thrown the coins into the ring during or after the event, where they were then flushed into the sewers with the blood of human and animal victims.
There were also indications of the nutrition of the fighters and the audience: kernels of fruits such as figs, grapes and melons as well as traces of olives and nuts could be detected. An earlier study had already given evidence that the gladiators could have eaten a predominantly vegetarian diet.
