History Hit’s Tristan Hughes heads behind the scenes at the British Museum to get a special look at items from their exhibition touring the UK in 2025-2026: Gladiators of Britain.
Taking visitors back nearly 2,000 years to the Roman province of Britannia and beyond, the exhibition brings together 25 items from the British Museum and Colchester Museums collections, as well as items from each local museum partner.
Join curators Dr Anna Willi and Dr Richard Hobbs as they discuss items featured in the exhibition, including the Murmillo figurine, a bone figurine found near Colchester that depicts a gladiator of the heavily armoured Murmillo class from the 1st - 2nd Century AD, as well as a rare coin with a depiction of the Colosseum on one side, a beautifully preserved gladiator themed oil lamp and incredibly, the Hawkedon Helmet (1st century AD). This is the only piece of gladiatorial armour ever found from Roman Britain.
Up Next in Treasures Revealed
-
The Vikings in the Vicarage
The Viking dig in the grounds of St Wystan Church in Repton is one of the most important Viking sites of modern times. Recently new research has brought to light new information which further elevates the significance of the site and redefines our knowledge of the Great Heathen Army. The Great He...
-
Samurai: Fighting the Myth
With behind-the-scenes access to a major new exhibition at the British Museum, Matt Lewis sets out to uncover the story behind one of Japan’s most enduring and misunderstood legacies: the Samurai. Often romanticised as noble warriors bound by an unbreakable code of honour, the reality of the Samu...
-
Medieval Cold Case: Stirling Castle S...
30 years ago, nine skeletons were discovered buried within the grounds of Stirling Castle, Scotland. Their identities remain a mystery, but injuries found on them suggest that they all suffered brutally violent deaths.
Dr Jo Buckberry, a battle trauma expert at the University of Bradford, believ...
7 Comments