麻豆社

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 24 beautifully preserved bronze statues in Tuscany believed to date back to ancient Roman times.

The statues were discovered under the muddy ruins of an ancient bathhouse in San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town in the Siena province, about 160km (100 miles) north of the capital Rome.

Depicting Hygieia, Apollo and other Greco-Roman gods, the figures are said to be around 2,300 years old.

One expert said the find could "rewrite history".

Most of the statues - which were found submerged beneath the baths alongside around 6,000 bronze, silver and gold coins - date to between the 2nd Century BC and the 1st Century AD. The era marked a period of "great transformation in ancient Tuscany" as the area transitioned from Etruscan to Roman rule, the Italian culture ministry said.

The dig was led by Professor Jacopo Tabolli, of the University for Foreigners in Siena.聽 He spoke to Weekend's Paul Henley from the hill-top excavation site.

Photo shows: A statue being recovered from the mud during the discovery of a votive deposit in the excavations of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, November 2022

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