2,000-years-old skulls show evidence of being eaten by dogs

Forensic techniques have revealed that Roman soldiers ditched the severed heads of defeated gladiators or victims into open pits, which were eaten by dogs.

Rebecca Redfern, from the Center for Human Bioarchaeology has revealed that at least one of the skulls shows evidence of being chewed at by dogs, which implies that it was still fleshed when it was left to decompose in the open pit, Discovery News reported.

The skulls excavated from London in 1988, dated to between 120 and 160 A.D, are believed to have belonged to defeated gladiators, executed criminals or victims of Roman soldiers' practice of "headhunting".

Improved forensic techniques revealed that majority of the skulls had numerous blows to the head, which were probably the cause of death and many also had healed injuries, which suggest that violence was a common feature of their life.

The remains, deposited over a 40-year period in 11 pits or dumps, were excavated from a Walbrook stream site within the Roman city walls and deposited at the nearby Museum of London.