Ancient statues, coins, jewels and still-intact eggs dating back to the Roman and Etruscan periods have been found in thermal baths in southern Tuscany, Italy’s culture minister announced Tuesday as he presented the latest discoveries made at the site.
Archaeologists have been excavating San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town about 160 kilometers north of Rome, starting in 2019. They have announced other remarkable discoveries in the past two years, reports
In San Casciano dei Bagni there is a shrine dedicated to hot springs used for healing purposes since the 3rd century BC, the Italian minister said. The Etruscans and the Romans used to make offerings in it, and these are currently being excavated.
The latest find, located nearly five meters below ground level, includes 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 of sculptures that have the shape of a snake.
One of the latter has a length of almost one meter and is probably a representation of the demon Agathos, the snake-like god with a beard and horns from Greek mythology, who would have been the protector of thermal springs, the Italian minister said.
It could be the largest bronze sculpture of this god discovered so far, the Ministry of Culture added, mentioning several smaller statues of him that are owned by the British Museum in London and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
Thousands of eggshells have also been discovered, as well as eggs intact or with only small holes in them that allow the yolk inside to be seen, along with sticks decorated with designs representing plants and pine cones, as part of the first offerings brought to this sanctuary.
Specialists believe that the artifacts of San Casciano dei Bagni have been preserved so well over the centuries thanks to the warm mud from the thermal springs. The objects are to be exhibited in a new museum planned to open in this city at the end of 2026.
