Archaeologists have been digging in San Casciano dei Bagni, a town about 160 kilometres north of Rome, since 2019. In recent weeks, Italy’s culture ministry has announced a remarkable new discovery.
A shrine linked to hot water springs used for healing purposes has been unearthed. More than 2,300 years ago, Etruscans and Romans threw offerings into the springs.
The latest findings include bronze sculptures, thousands of coins, and jewellery, including a gold crown and ring.
One of the statues is almost one metre long and is believed to represent ‘Agathos Daimon’, a bearded snake god with horns from Greek mythology.
“It is as if the small snakes and the agatodemone, with the constantly flowing waters, carried a message to the deities of the spring and those of health,” archaeologists told La Voce di New York.
Smaller examples of these statues are held at the British Museum in London and the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
These treasures are believed to have been preserved by the warm mud of the springs and are expected to be displayed at a new museum scheduled to open in late 2026.
More reading
Blast from the past: 4,000-year-old jewellery unearthed
Time machine: Aussies in love with ancient Egyptian jewellery
Ancient gold necklace to be returned to Turkey
Jewellery stolen during Second World War returned in special ceremony
4,000 years later: Ancient jewellery unveiled in Scotland
Time travel: Bronze Age jewellery discovered in Europe
Bronze Age jewellery returned to Cyprus after decades of legal battles
Long lost gold jewellery unearthed in burial mound