Boxing, referred to as Pugilatus in latin, was a popular sport in the Roman empire of old. Emperor Augustus himself was even a massive fan of the tradition. While much is known about the practices of ancient Roman boxing, a physical pair of gloves worn by the fighters have never been discovered. Well, now all of that has changed.
As reported by The Guardian, a pair of boxing gloves thought to date back as far as AD120 have been found near Hadrian’s Wall. While the ancient gloves have been depicted within paintings and the like in the past, this is the first time a physical pair of the gloves have been discovered.
The gloves were discovered in a fort dated back to fourth-century Vindoland, located near modern day Hexham, Northumberland. Check out a photo of the incredibly fascinating gloves down below:
Behind the scenes. Before and after of our new Roman boxing glove exhibition… it has been a BIG hit! #vindolanda pic.twitter.com/qorGSoXybm
— Vindolanda Trust (@VindolandaTrust) February 21, 2018
