In the British Museum sits an ancient marble relief that depicts two gladiators battling with swords and shields. It’s a familiar scene from ancient Rome bar one intriguing detail: both of the gladiators are female.

The inscription about the marble relief, which was found in Halicarnassus, Turkey, reads that both gladiators fought to an honorable draw. So was this work of art a one-off, or were female gladiators in ancient Rome commonplace?