Ancient Rome: Stunningly preserved bronze statues found in Italy

Italian archaeologists person unearthed 24 beautifully preserved bronze statues successful Tuscany believed to day backmost to past Roman times.

The statues were discovered nether the muddy ruins of an past bathhouse successful San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop municipality successful the Siena province, astir 160km (100 miles) northbound of the superior Rome.

Depicting Hygieia, Apollo and different Greco-Roman gods, the figures are said to beryllium astir 2,300 years old.

One adept said the find could "rewrite history".

Most of the statues - which were recovered submerged beneath the baths alongside astir 6,000 bronze, metallic and golden coins - day to betwixt the 2nd Century BC and the 1st Century AD. The epoch marked a play of "great translation successful past Tuscany" arsenic the country transitioned from Etruscan to Roman rule, the Italian civilization ministry said.

Jacopo Tabolli, an adjunct prof from the University for Foreigners successful Siena who leads the dig, suggested that the statues had been immersed successful thermal waters successful a benignant of ritual. "You springiness to the h2o due to the fact that you anticipation that the h2o gives thing backmost to you," helium observed.

The statues, which were preserved by the water, volition beryllium taken to a restoration laboratory successful adjacent Grosseto, earlier yet being enactment connected show successful a caller depository successful San Casciano.

Massimo Osanna, manager wide of Italy's authorities museums, said the find was the astir important since the Riace Bronzes and "certainly 1 of the astir important bronze finds ever made successful the past of the past Mediterranean". The Riace Bronzes - discovered successful 1972 - picture a brace of past warriors. They are believed to day backmost to astir 460-450 BC.

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