'Lion elevator' restored at Rome's Colosseum

One of the ancient elevators used for transporting lions into the arena at Rome's Colosseum ahead of gladiatorial fights, has been restored.

The manually-operated hoist, used in the 1st and 3rd centuries AD to raise wild animals into the amphitheater, was returned to working order after a 15 month restoration project. The lift is one of 24 original elevators at the Colosseum.

Video footage from the unveiling of the restored lift show how men would have manually pushed the hoist to raise the lift into the arena:

Rossella Rea, archaeological director at the Colosseum, told NBC News: "This must have been an amazing spectacle, made even more amazing by the fact that it took eight men to operate each of the 24 lifts, plus two or three others to keep the ropes in check."

The Colosseum was the venue for gladiatorial fights during ancient Roman times which saw professional fighters do battle with each other as well as wild animals including lions, leopards, bears, wolves, ostriches and deer.