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marketrent OP t1_ixndhbh wrote

November 24, 2022.

>A year-long study of the drainage system under the Colosseum has unearthed fragments of the bones of bears and big cats that were probably used to fight or as prey in hunting games in the ancient Roman arena, archaeologists said on Thursday.

>Other discoveries include more than 50 bronze coins from the late Roman period as well as a silver coin from around 170-171 AD to commemorate 10 years of rule of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, they added in a statement.

>Seeds from fruits such as figs, grapes and melons as well as traces of olives and nuts — thought to indicate what spectators snacked on during shows — were also recovered from the 2,000-year-old stone amphitheatre.

>The study, which began in January, involved the clearance of around 70 metres of drains and sewers under the Colosseum and is seen as shedding light on its later years before it fell into disuse around 523 AD.

Reuters via The Cyprus Mail

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techcaleb t1_ixnuv47 wrote

Not going to lie, on first read I thought they were snacking on bones.

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chibinoi t1_ixnx0d8 wrote

Replying to marketrent (#654,581)

Okay so, wait, according to this snippet, it was actually thought of that the above mentioned fruits and oils were the snacks, not the animal bones as the title sort of leads to be believed.

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themagpie36 t1_ixobnhu wrote

>Seeds from fruits such as figs, grapes and melons as well as traces of olives and nuts — thought to indicate what spectators snacked on during shows — were also recovered from the 2,000-year-old stone amphitheatre.

The bones were from bears/big cats and other animals used for fighting, not for snacking on as I thought at first.

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-shabushabu t1_ixohpig wrote

Movies and modern architecture really ruined the scale of Colosseum for me... It's definitely beautiful and not a matchbox, but it's surprisingly small once you're inside...

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Slamdutch t1_ixoj9eg wrote

have we somehow not completely studied and uncovered everything at the coliseum yet? are we waiting for something?

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crasspmpmpm t1_ixojr93 wrote

who tf eats a bunch of bones as a snack?

−8

VoraciousGhost t1_ixokyn1 wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#656,807)

Do you also read articles before reading their headlines? This headline gives that impression regardless of where you read it.

The headline is poorly phrased, there's no need to bring your unrelated disdain for reddit into it.

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Coz91 t1_ixolume wrote

That's cool, I was literally just there yesterday and all!

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Ibly1 t1_ixorche wrote

They didn’t explain how they determine the religion of the snacks consumed at the coliseum.

−3

HaikuBotStalksMe t1_ixouhrk wrote

I wonder if they're trying to say that they found animal bones AND snack food, if they found animal bones, which are the snack food?

This is why I believe that newspaper companies should use proper grammar instead of sounding like a superhero whose "energy levels low; not enough to fight back! Death: imminent!"

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ThePhantomTrollbooth t1_ixoxpva wrote

Replying to Slamdutch (#659,288)

They probably focus a majority of their efforts on preserving and maintaining what is already uncovered, and keeping it safe for tourists to visit. Techniques and tools continue to advance too. Wouldn’t be surprised if they learned about these drainages through sonar or LiDAR.

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SirOutrageous1027 t1_ixp35ak wrote

Replying to themagpie36 (#658,217)

>The bones were from bears/big cats and other animals used for fighting, not for snacking on as I thought at first.

Well maybe it depends on which animal lost the fight. Not just letting that go to waste.

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ADeweyan t1_ixp6sk3 wrote

Curious. Did they find wolf nibble chip remnants?

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younggundc t1_ixpj7g5 wrote

Wow, that article told us absolutely nothing

−2

Joiner2008 t1_ixpo2ad wrote

Replying to -shabushabu (#659,052)

Full disclosure, I've never seen it in person, only through Google Street view, internet pictures, etc. However, I feel like Assassin's Creed did a good job with the proportions.

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RiggzBoson t1_ixpsr5v wrote

I guess the saying rings true.

One man's trash is another man's treasure

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citrusdrop43 t1_ixptjz9 wrote

Replying to HisKoR (#663,832)

It used to be larger than it is now. There was another row around and another row on top of what you see today. It seated more than 60000 people. I’d grant it a status of „pretty large“. A visit to Rome I want to highly recommended.

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JackRusselTerrorist t1_ixpx445 wrote

Replying to SirOutrageous1027 (#661,761)

Guy goes to a bar in Pamplona, and while he’s there, sees another guy eating a huge sausage. He checks the menu, but didn’t see anything there. He asks the bartender if he can get one, to which the bartender replies “we’re all sold out- come back next week, I’ll set one aside for you”.

The next week the guy goes back to the bar, and flags down the bartender. The bartender seems a bit nervous, but says he’ll get his sausage in a minute. When he comes back out, the guy sees that he’s brought a tiny nothing of a sausage.

“What the heck is this?” Asks the guy

The bartender replies, “Sorry, the bull won today”

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Fordmister t1_ixpz8gc wrote

"Otters ear lobes! Badgers noses! Wolf nipple chips, get em' while there hot they're lovely!"

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Vau8 t1_ixpzh5k wrote

Entered just for the LOB-quotes, left satisfied.

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PaulMcIcedTea t1_ixq1eww wrote

Replying to Slamdutch (#659,288)

I don't know if it's the case here, but it's common practice in archeology to leave some parts of a site undisturbed. You never know how technology and techniques might improve in the future and if you dig everything up now you might destroy stuff that could have been preserved.

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essray22 t1_ixqswqg wrote

I was hoping for the discovery of an ancient Twinkie. We know it’s plausible for one to survive that long.

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FiggNewton t1_ixr0cru wrote

“Wrens livers! Jaguars earlobes! Wolf Nipple Chips! Get them while they’re hot, they’re lovely!”

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Nattekat t1_ixrdvr5 wrote

Replying to Slamdutch (#659,288)

Remember that Pompeii still is mostly covered, even though it's right there. Archeologists don't do anything if it's potentially damaging. Once something is broken, it'll never come back. Patience gets awarded with more advanced tools.

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Imadope_1960 t1_ixsblph wrote

Replying to MacDerfus (#668,845)

Neither do hotdogs and nachos and cheese, what will the ancient ballparks of the 20th century reveal in 2000 years. Granted the current ballparks will be replaced in 30 years historians will wonder why they couldn't build a stadium that lasts 50 years.

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27bluestar t1_iy1uhmo wrote

In 2000 years, archaeologists will find completely preserved McDonald's burgers at sports stadiums.

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ninjaturtle56374 t1_iy8a8d0 wrote

Guys this is before the fast industry. They had some local grown snacks with no preservatives 😂

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