A new archaeological dig in the sewers of the Colosseum has yielded the half-chewed morsels of snacks presumably eaten by spectators while watching gladiators fight to the death.

Also uncovered were the skeletons of animals, including dachshunds, which archaeologists speculate may have been made to fight larger animals like bears, or killed by hunters in the terrible 'venationes' which delighted the Roman people for so many centuries.

‘Venatio’ was a form of public entertainment typical to ancient Rome, which involved an array of animals being pitted against each other in fights, or being trained to perform tricks before an audience.

"We found many bones from dogs which were similar to the modern sausage dog," Colosseum director Alfonsina Russo told The Telegraph.

"They were less than 30cm in height. We think they may have been used to perform acrobatic tricks, just as you would see in a circus today. Or it may be that they were used as part of staged hunts or even pitched against bears and animals like that. We don't know for sure."

Among the edible titbits found were pieces of barbecued meat, pizza, vegetables and fruit, various nuts, and olives, said archaeologist Federica Rinaldi, who led the dig.

In addition to the dachshund-like remains, other animal bones unearthed included those of lions, ostriches, leopards and bears.

Ancient coins have also been found, including a sesterce with the head of Marcus Aurelius, issued, according to archaeologist and numismatics expert Francesca Ceci, on the 10th anniversary of the philosopher emperor to augur 10 more years of happy rule in 170-171 AD.

"With a flight of fancy, we can imagine the shiny coins thrown onto the crowd, and one of these, our sesterce, which then fell onto the sand of the arena, and was swept away along with the blood of men and animals," Ceci told reporters.