NEW technology has shed fresh light on a set of Roman-age decapitated bodies found in York.

Genome technology has shown that the most of the men, who archaeologists have speculated were gladiators, were locals, while at least one came from the Middle East.

York Press:

The skeletons ready for analysis in York's Guildhall

The skeletons were found by York Archaeological Trust at Driffield Terrace, Holgate in 2005 - a discovery exclusively revealed in The Press.

But it is only now, after pioneering analysis by a team from Trinity College Dublin, that archaeologists can start piecing together the origins of the men.

More than 80 skeletons aged under 45 were found, several of which had suffered decapitation, with skulls buried on chests, within the legs and at the feet.

York Press:

Archaeologists on site in 2005

From these 80, seven were selected for whole genome analysis - a process hailed as the next step on from DNA testing.

Despite variation in isotope levels which suggested some of the 80 lived their early lives outside Britain, most had genomes similar to an Iron Age woman from Melton, East Yorkshire.

York Press:

One of the skeletons found in Driffield Terrace

The poor childhood health of these men suggests that they endured stress in their youth, but their robust skeletons and healed trauma, indicate they were used to wielding weapons.

However, the analysis reveals that one of decapitated Romans grew up in the region of modern day Palestine, Jordan or Syria before migrating here and meeting his death in York.

York Press:

One of the skulls analysed

“Archaeology and osteoarchaeology can tell us a certain amount about the skeletons, but this new genomic and isotopic research can not only tell us about the body we see, but about its origins, and that is a huge step forward in understanding populations, migration patterns and how people moved around the ancient world,” said Christine McDonnell, head of curatorial and archive services for York Archaeological Trust.

“This hugely exciting, pioneering work will become the new standard for understanding the origins of skeletons in the future, and as the field grows, and costs of undertaking this kind of investigation fall, we’ll may able to refine our knowledge of exactly where the bodies were born to a much smaller region. That is a remarkable advance.”

York Press:

The skeletons ready for analysis in York's Guildhall

As well as YAT, the multi-disciplinary analysis involved scientists from the University of York and Trinity College, Dublin, as well as the universities of Durham, Reading and Sheffield, University College London and the University Medical Centre in Utrecht.

Research also took in experts from York Osteoarchaeology Ltd, City of York Council and the Natural History Museum.

The skeletons were taller than average for Roman Britain and displayed evidence of significant trauma potentially related to interpersonal violence.

All but one would have had brown eyes and black or brown hair, but one had distinctive blue eyes and blond hair.

York Press:

One of the skeletons found in Driffield Terrace

Professor Dan Bradley, of Trinity College Dublin's Molecular Population Genetics Laboratory, said: “Whichever the identity of the enigmatic headless Romans from York, our sample of the genomes of seven of them, when combined with isotopic evidence, indicate six to be of British origin and one to have origins in the Middle East.

"It confirms the cosmopolitan character of the Roman Empire even at its most northerly extent.”