Uncover Roman Secrets in Cirencester

Gladiators – A Cemetery of Secrets exhibition is coming to Corinium Museum, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Skeletal remains of six men, each of whom had been decapitated and suffered injuries prior to death, arrive at Corinium Museum this autumn from 22 October 2022 to 23 April 2023, allowing visitors to learn more about Roman life and muse on the mystery of these men’s lives.

The arrival of these skeletons marks the launch of the Corinium Museum’s Gladiators: A Cemetery of Secrets exhibition, a touring exhibition from The JORVIK Group of Attractions, operators of the award-winning JORVIK Viking Centre.

Visitors will discover more about eighty burials which were unearthed in York in 2004 from a Roman age cemetery. Archaeological opinion varies on whether the men were soldiers, criminals, slaves or gladiators; the exhibition presents the evidence, which includes scientific analysis, cut marks, animal bites and blunt force trauma to the bone highlighted through six of these skeletons.

Dr. Katharine Walker, Museum Director, explained, “We aim to bring the Roman period to life and invite visitors to engage more closely with it through unique archaeological finds. Whatever their age, they will be able to assess the evidence for themselves through a range of AV material, including facial reconstructions, CT scans, and interviews, and deduce from their findings as to which skeletons were, in fact, gladiators!”

Watch out for upcoming Gladiator re-enactment days, a Gladiator School, a filmed British Sign Language tour of the exhibition, Talks, Tours, & Lectures, and many further activities for children, adults, businesses, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Director of Attractions for the JORVIK Group, which is owned and operated by York Archaeological Trust, Sarah Maltby, explains: “The Gladiators exhibition uncovers the stories of these men, drawing on historical and archaeological evidence to help us understand who the men were, where they came from as well as how they came to die in the dynamic Roman town of Eboracum.”

Jenny Forde, Councillor, Cotswold District Council, commented, “Corinium Museum is such a unique venue and Museum. This is great news for Corinium, Cirencester, and the whole of the Cotswolds. I encourage local and wider visitors to prebook their tickets to see this authentic and exciting experience of who were these people? Gladiators – a Cemetery of Secrets is on its way!”