Bronze statues, coins and ancient eggs found in Tuscan thermal baths

Ancient statues, coins, jewelry and eggs still intact from Roman and Etruscan times have been recovered from thermal baths in southern Tuscany, Italy’s Culture Ministry said on Tuesday, presenting the latest discoveries at the site.

Archaeologists have been working since 2019 on excavations in San Casciano I gave Bagnia hilltop city about 100 miles north of Rome, and have announced other notable discoveries over the past two years.

San Casciano had a santuary linked to hot water springs used for medicinal purposes since the 3rd century BC, according to the ministry. Etruscans and Romans used to I gavexing offerings at the site, which is now being excavated.

The most recent discoveries, nearly five meters below ground, include male and female bronze sculptures, including a man cut in half lengthwise, thousands of coins, a gold crown and ring, precious stones and a series of sculptures of snakes.

One of them is almost a meter long and is likely a representation of Agathos Daimon, a bearded god of Greek mythology resembling a horned snake who may have been the protector of the springs, the ministry said.

It would be the largest bronze sculpture of this god recovered to date, according to the statement, noting that smaller examples are in the British Museum, in London, and the National Archaeological Museum, in Naples.

Thousands of eggshells were also found, as well as eggs intact or with small holes showing the yolk still inside, as well as branches decorated with plants and pine cones, as part of donations to the santuary.

It is believed that the artifacts of San Casciano have been preserved for centuries by the hot mud of the springs. They are to be displayed in a new museum due to open in the city at the end of 2026.

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This content was originally published in Ancient bronze statues, coins and eggs are found in Tuscan thermal baths on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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