4. There’s Archaeological Evidence They Existed
Archaeological findings provide tangible evidence of female gladiators in ancient Rome. Notable artifacts include:
Halicarnassus Relief: A 2nd-century CE marble relief from Halicarnassus (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey) depicts two female gladiators named Amazon and Achillia, armed and in combat.
Hamburg Statue: A bronze statuette from the 1st century CE, now in Hamburg’s Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, portrays a bare-chested woman holding a sica, a curved sword associated with the thraex gladiator type.
Great Dover Street Woman: Discovered in London in 1996, the remains of a woman buried with expensive items and associated with gladiatorial games suggest she was a respected female gladiator.
These artifacts collectively confirm the existence and participation of women in gladiatorial combat during ancient Roman times (livescience.com).
