The Colosseum still has secrets.
The Colosseum still has secrets. Jimmy Walker/CC BY-SA 2.0

Even at one of the most famous monuments in the world, there are still secrets to be uncovered.

At Rome’s Colosseum, in an area around the steps leading to the basement, the skull of a horse was found, while the area was being cleaned up, reports the Local.

The head is dated to the 12th or 13th century, when the Colosseum was being used for more practical purposes than gladiatorial battles. In the 12th century, parts of the amphitheater were rented out for residential or commercial use; in the 13th century, a powerful Roman family controlled the structure and turned it into a castle/fort situation.

This new find, according to the city’s Superintendent for Archaeological Heritage, should be taken as indication that the Colosseum still has places that need exploration. If there’s a horse head just lying around, who knows what else might be hidden away?