Uncomfirmed Class 2: York, England

This dig site proves to be a little strange. Eighty dead bodies are found with a "high number" of decapitations. Many of the facts point toward the dead being gladiators: it was during Roman rule of England, one arm was stronger then the other, most of the bodies were male, there were animal sized bite marks, they were buried with honors.

Something just reads off. Possibly that there were no gladiator arenas in England as far as we know. Or that bite marks are simply large, not specifically from an animal. Or that this is the only graveyard of it's kind in York. Or that not all evidence was presented.

If Max Brooks was as accurate about the Romans as he was about the Egyptians, he states zombies were simply a way of life for the Romans. Just another thing to do on a daily check list: "Kill the dead." There are many myths and stories dating back from Rome about vampires, but they are assumed to be vampires, the Roman wording is always "the dead." Could zombies have been put in the arena against normal gladiators? There is one tradition in particular that seems to have been taken quite seriously by the Romans but has since past into myth. The tradition of which way the head was facing when a human sacrifice was made. If the head was facing up when killed the human was to go serve the gods and the body would be consumed by fire with honors. If the head was facing down, the person was being given to the dead and their body would be consumed by the dead. Fancy wording for something more mundane? Or a literal meaning all together?

The details breakdown-
Location: York, England
Time: 4 A.D.
Infected: 80+
Response: Possibly local or military.
Media Coverage: Very little.

My suggestion: It seems like there is little to go off of here but there often is. My main concern is the way the evidence is presented. It is quite clear not everything uncovered in and around the graveyard was given to the public and they really wanted to lead people toward believing it is a gladiator graveyard. I personally believe that's all it is, a gladiator graveyard to which we have not yet discovered the arena. But it does raise questions, including one about how common undead might have been in Rome. A question which demands tribute.

Stay vigilant, may the legions never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.