After testing some of the first gladiator remains found, forensics anthropologist Fabian Kanz discovers that some bones contained unusually high levels of strontium. Gladiators may have been consuming strontium-rich drinks to become stronger warriors as they faced each other in the Colosseum.
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TRANSCRIPT
Fabian cuts a bone sample... ...and freeze-dries the fragment with liquid nitrogen... ...before grinding it into powder, and mixing it into a solution.
♪♪ A flame spectrometer can reveal the presence of different elements in a liquid, to analyze its chemical composition.
Fabian tests the bone solution for any unusual elements.
The flame burns bright red... -You see, it's very intense.
-Evidence of the element strontium.
Strontium, normally found in only trace amounts, strengthens bones, improving mobility, making them more resistant to fractures, and protecting vital organs from injury.
All of which would enhance the fitness of a fighter and perhaps make the difference between life and death in combat.
But these gladiator bones contain unusually large amounts.
-It was not just a little bit more, they had double the amount than normal people at that time.
-The body obtains strontium primarily through dietary intake.
Ancient texts mention that gladiators drank a special brew, made from burned bones or plants.
-Burning bones, wood, or bark to ash increases natural strontium levels.
Drinking this mixture boosted the gladiators' intake.
Fabian believes this could explain the superhuman levels of strontium in the skeletons.
-You have to think about this ash drink like we drink nowadays after sports, these fizzy tablets.
And this was pretty much the same.
[ Gladiators grunting ] -From advanced healthcare to strontium supplements, nothing was spared in pursuit of the ultimate warrior.
♪♪ But there was more to the Colosseum than just gladiator fights.