The Amphitheatre of Mérida was built in 8 BCE to host gladiatorial fights, venationes (hunting and killing wild animals), and mock naval battles (naumachiae). The building could accommodate approximately 15,000 spectators who entered through the vomitoria, the tunnel-like exits. The row closest to the arena was reserved for the elite, while everyone else sat in the higher sections (women and children as far from the arena as possible). Most of the seats have disappeared, used in other building projects around town.