Status: 11/08/2022 5:37 p.m
Italian archaeologists have made a spectacular find in the mud of hot springs in Tuscany: They discovered more than 20 bronze statues in excellent condition. Gold, silver and bronze coins were also uncovered.
Archaeologists have made a spectacular find in Tuscany, Italy: The researchers discovered more than 20 excellently preserved bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman times in the mud of a thermal spring.
The sculptures excavated in the old spa town of San Casciano dei Bagni represent deities worshiped in a sanctuary built by the Etruscans at a thermal spring and expanded by the ancient Romans, according to the Ministry of Culture in Rome.
“Unique” discovery
In addition to the more than 2000-year-old bronze statues in almost perfect condition, numerous offerings and around 5000 gold, silver and bronze coins were uncovered during the three-year excavation.
Project manager Jacopo Tabolli spoke of a “unique” discovery. It enables new insights into the time of origin of the bronzes between the second century BC and the first century AD. During this period, the ancient Etruscan civilization was gradually absorbed by the Roman culture.
Works of art well preserved by thermal water
According to Tabolli, it is the largest find of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman periods in what is now Italy and one of the most important in the entire Mediterranean region.
The works of art were so well preserved in the warm thermal water that the Etruscan and Latin inscriptions are still legible, including the names of influential Etruscan families. The bronzes are now to become the centerpiece of a separate museum.