Bite marks found on the skeleton of a Roman gladiator are the first archaeological evidence of combat between a human and a lion, experts say. The remains were discovered during a 2004 dig at Driffield Terrace,

Bite marks discovered on the skeleton of a gladiator in Roman-era England suggest the man faced off with a lion in the arena, according to a new study.

Though dramatic images of ancient Roman gladiators fighting great beasts like lions and tigers have appeared in books and films for decades, archaeologists never had any direct proof that such battles actually took place — until now.