The average ancient Roman worker was riddled with arthritis, suffered broken bones and was dead by 30 thanks to a diet of rotting grains and a lifetime of hard labour.

The grim realities of the Eternal City were revealed in a study carried out by an Italian team of specialists that used modern-scanning techniques to analyse 2,000 ancient skeletons.

The majority of the skeletons from the first and third century AD, found in the suburbs of the ancient city, had broken collar bones, noses and hand bones.

The average ancient Roman worker was riddled with arthritis, suffered broken bones and was dead by 30 thanks to a diet of rotting grains and a lifetime of hard labour, a new study has found (pictured, the remains of a 30-year-old woman found in ancient Rome)

The shocking discovery came as they were dug out during construction on a high speed rail line between Rome and Naples over the last 15 years.

While fractured and broken bones were commonplace injuries among poor, working class Romans, high incidences of bone cancer were also found.

And chronic arthritis was found to be rife in the shoulders, the knees and the back of skeletons as young as 20.

Medical historian Valentina Gazzaniga told The Local: 'We can speculate that some of these people would have spent their lives working in nearby salt mines due to the patterns of arthritis they display.

'What's interesting is that the average age of death across the sample group was just 30, yet the skeletons still display severe damage wrought by the extremely difficult working conditions of the day.'

The research did show, however, that the city's ancient dwellers had become skilled at treating such injuries.

The study found that Romans would place a wooden cage over the limb until the broken bones eventually bound back together.

Among poor, working class Romans, high incidences of bone cancer were also found (pictured, sarcophagus buried near Trafalgar Square)

Although a rudimentary solution compared to modern treatment, it meant workers could still do back-breaking hard labour for years afterwards.

A similar study carried out on the skeletons of rich inhabitants of Pompeii last year showed what a difference social strata could make to health.

The higher class citizens - involving noblemen and Patricians - avoided hard labour and ate a diverse range of foods meaning their bodies were in better condition.

Speaking at a press conference at the time, orthodontist Elisa Vanacore said: 'They have really good teeth – they ate a diet that contained few sugars, and was high in fruit and vegetables.

'For sure, they ate better than we did.'

In comparison, lower-class Roman inhabitants had a constrained diet that often included rotting grains and stale bread, tooth enamel analysis found.

It comes as earlier this year a study suggested Rome was attracting immigrants from the furthest reaches of its empire and beyond 2,000 years ago.

Analysis of skeletons found buried in two ancient cemeteries of the city showed eight of them were from as far away as North Africa and the Alps.

The migrants, who were mostly children and men, were buried in simple graves and appear to have been poor, suggesting they could have come to the city hoping to find success.

Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Kristina Killgrove, an anthropologist at the University of West Florida who led the research, said: 'Historical records tell us that people came to Rome both voluntarily - such as to find work, for marriage, to apprentice, or for an education - and involuntarily as slaves.'