Badger Bart
Sr. Member
- Mar 24, 2005
- 301
- 20
DIVERS MAKE SURPRISING DISCOVERY
18 Oct 2005
Northern Great Britain
The River Tees runs through Teesside and the Tees Valley, from the Pennines to the sea. Even if you know the area well you might be surprised by what lies along the Tees, or in it.
An image of a Roman gladiator wearing only a G-string has been dug from the bed of the River Tees. Broken Roman pottery, decorated with the picture, was recovered from the river at Piercebridge. Archaeologists believe the figure of a gladiator, who also appears to be holding a whip, may be the first of its kind ever discovered.
Philippa Walton, who works for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said: "The pottery sherd depicts a man wearing a G-string and holding a whip. The sherd is a fragment from a larger vessel, probably a beaker. "Similar pottery has been found before depicting some gladiatorial scenes, some quite pornographic, but I can't think of an example where the gladiator only wears a G-string.
Divers Rolfe Hutchinson and Bob Middlemass came across the figure. Over the past 20 years the pair have uncovered thousands of ancient artefacts from the river while diving.
18 Oct 2005
Northern Great Britain
The River Tees runs through Teesside and the Tees Valley, from the Pennines to the sea. Even if you know the area well you might be surprised by what lies along the Tees, or in it.
An image of a Roman gladiator wearing only a G-string has been dug from the bed of the River Tees. Broken Roman pottery, decorated with the picture, was recovered from the river at Piercebridge. Archaeologists believe the figure of a gladiator, who also appears to be holding a whip, may be the first of its kind ever discovered.
Philippa Walton, who works for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said: "The pottery sherd depicts a man wearing a G-string and holding a whip. The sherd is a fragment from a larger vessel, probably a beaker. "Similar pottery has been found before depicting some gladiatorial scenes, some quite pornographic, but I can't think of an example where the gladiator only wears a G-string.
Divers Rolfe Hutchinson and Bob Middlemass came across the figure. Over the past 20 years the pair have uncovered thousands of ancient artefacts from the river while diving.
