The Gladiator Glass

Probably the most exciting small find of the 2003 dig!

It's a small piece of fine glass, engraved or etched with the figure of a gladiator. It was almost certainly part of a drinking vessel, and was found in the sealed context of room 3B of the bath house. We have been told that this is the fifth "gladiator" vessel found in the UK.

In case you are wondering - no, it is not a female gladiator! The "breasts" are parts of a male gladiator's armour, modelled, apparently, on an Etruscan warrior's armour.

Here's a computer-generated assembly of three of the pieces:

Will we get closer to recovering the whole figure of the gladiator, and perhaps discovering his name? Watch this space!

Meanwhile, here is Time Team's superb virtual reconstruction of the whole beaker made for The Big Roman Dig by graphic designer Jayson King, based on research by Professor Jennifer Price.