One of the most significant archaeological discoveries of ancient times has been made. Find out the details of this valuable treasure trove.
An incredible treasure trove of gold and silver coins, along with bronze statues in perfect condition, were recovered in a historic excavation of the ancient thermal baths of San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.
This is one of the most significant finds from ancient times. ‘A discovery that will rewrite history and on which more than 60 experts from around the world are already working,’ said Jacopo Tabolli, the Etruscologist in charge of the excavation.
According to Tabolli, this excavation has uncovered the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman periods ever discovered in Italy and one of the most important in the entire Mediterranean region.
Tons of gold, silver and bronze have been found, all belonging to a single country
According to the official statement from Italian Museums, the new discovery ‘is the most important find since the Riace Bronzes, the most significant bronzes ever found in the history of the ancient Mediterranean, were rescued from the sea.’
The impressive statues have been recovered from the mud of the ancient thermal baths and represented the deities worshipped in the sacred place. Alongside them, some bronze body parts have also been recovered, which were offered to the gods for the healing intervention of the divinity through the thermal waters.
Among the statues recovered from the hot mud are the effigies of Hygieia and Apollo, as well as a bronze reminiscent of the famous Arringatore, a statue found years ago in the Perugia area representing the figure of the orator Aulus Metellus, an Etruscan senator during the Roman Republic.
Researchers point out that the exceptional state of preservation of the statues inside the thermal waters has also allowed the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin that were engraved before their creation.
Who are the original owners of the gold coin hoard?
The inscriptions contain the names of powerful Etruscan families from the territory of inland Etruria, from the Velimna of Perugia to the Marcni, known in Siena. In addition to the phrases in Etruscan, inscriptions in Latin have also been discovered, which also mention the ‘aquae calidae’, the thermal waters of Bagno Grande, where the statues were placed.
The 24 statues, explains Tabolli, date from between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a historical period of significant transformations in ancient Tuscany, during the transition from the Etruscans to the Romans.
The find of the century: a huge treasure trove of gold coins and Roman statues of incalculable value has been discovered. Image: archive.
‘The sanctuary, with its statues, appears to be a research laboratory on cultural diversity in antiquity, a unique testimony to Etruscan and Roman mobility,’ added Tabolli, who claims that this discovery ‘is a unique opportunity to rewrite the history of ancient art and with it the history of the transition between the Etruscans and Romans in Tuscany.’
The sanctuary, with its ponds, sloping terraces, fountains and altars, existed at least since the 3rd century BC and remained active until the 5th century AD when, in the Christian era, it was closed but not destroyed.
The ponds were sealed with heavy stone columns, so when this covering was removed, archaeologists found themselves faced with a treasure that was still intact.
This large sanctuary ‘seems to be a unique place. A kind of bubble of peace, if we think about it, that even in historical times when the most terrible conflicts existed outside, inside these tanks and on these altars, the two worlds, the Etruscan and the Latin, seemed to coexist without problems,’ added the archaeologist.
