Dear Dr. Dig,
What was the purpose of the Roman gladiators?
Jaime, Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

Dr. dig responds:
Gladiators were trained fighters who fought—often to the death—in the Roman arenas to entertain the general public. Some were slaves, a few were captured warriors, and there were even some volunteers who knew that they could earn a rich reward if they survived! High profile gladiators were the film stars of their day—they attracted huge numbers of fans. The arenas were also used for the public execution of criminals and undesirables, who were often matched against wild animals such as lions and panthers.

Dear Dr. Dig,
What's the difference between the Ba and the Ka?
Beth, Web post

Dr. dig responds:
The ancient Egyptians believed that everyone had three different spirits, or souls, that would be released from the body at death. The Ka was the life force that stayed in the tomb. The Ba was a human-headed bird that left the tomb in the daytime to fly around in the sunlight. It returned to the tomb at night. The Akh is the most difficult spirit for us to understand, but the Egyptians called it the “perfect spirit,” and it seems to have lived in sunlight.