LANCASHIRE academics have helped unearth what may be the world’s only well-preserved Roman gladiator cemetery.

The discovery was made by archaeologists, including representatives from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), during a dig in historic York, a former Roman stronghold.

The boffins, who were filmed for a Channel 4 documentary, discovered the skeletons of men and said the features were ‘consistent’ with them working as gladiators, including bite marks, possibly from lions, or tigers.

The taller-than-average skeletons also featured muscle stress consistent with fighting in arenas and had suffered hammer blows to the head, said the archaeologists. Experts, including Dr Mike Wysocki, from UCLan, said it was less likely that the men were criminals, or soldiers.

Dr Wysocki worked with counterparts from the York Archaeological Trust before examining the skeletal remains in UCLan’s forensic anthropology laboratory.

He said: “These are internationally-important discoveries. We don’t have any other potential gladiator cemeteries with this level of preservation anywhere else in the world. It is a unique Roman burial assemblage.

“Anthropologically-speaking, the material is particularly significant because it includes such a broad spectrum of healed and unhealed injuries associated with inter-personal violence.

“The presence of bite marks is one of the strongest pieces of evidence suggesting an arena connection.

“It would seem highly unlikely that this individual was attacked by a tiger as he was walking home from the pub in York 2,000 years ago.”

Gladiators: Back from the Dead will be shown on Channel 4 next Monday.