By Slanted Light

It has always bugged me that if archaeologists found weaponry in what seemed to be a female's grave, they interpreted it as "her husband put it there to guard her in the afterlife" or something along those lines

I must admit, I'm a little ??? about the "female gladiator" bit, though. All they seem to have decided is that she was big and muscular, and had a very decent coffin. Are they trying to pique interest? After more funding or something? Or have I missed details.

I'm somewhat unsteadily balanced between the excesses of the 80's (if you've ever seen Angus McBride's illustration of Aethelflaed on horseback, hewing down Vikings, you'll know the sort of thing I mean) and the po-faced conservatism that refuses to admit to anything that hasn't been documented to the precise date and place, despite plenty of actual examples across time and cultures.

Anyway. Pros! I'm so happy for you. And us *g*