Gladiator arena from Roman era unearthed in Turkey

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered the remains of a “magnificent“ Roman-era arena, where up to 20,000 spectators likely cheered and jeered as they watched gladiator matches and wild animal fights, the excavators said. The 1,800-year-old arena was discovered on the rolling hills of the ancient city of Mastaura, in Turkey’s western Aydın Province. Its large central area, where “bloody shows“ once took place, has since filled with earth and vegetation over the centuries. “Most of the amphitheater is under the ground,“ and the part that is visible is largely covered by “shrubs and wild trees“. Archaeologists found the arena in the summer of 2020, after they received permission from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to conduct archaeological research in the ancient city. After finding immense stonework rising out of the ground, the team immediately began clearing and studying the site. From October to December 2020, they “cut down all the bushes and wild trees“.