Etruscan emperors discovered - 9th December 2022

24 bronze statues have been found in Tuscany, Italy. The statues of Etruscan gods, children and emperors date back over 2,300 years and were found partly submerged in mud and water in a network of baths.

The ancient baths, part of a spa, built near Siena are close to one of Italy's most popular modern day spa locations. Emanuele Mariotti is the director of the archaeological site.

Emanuele Mariotti: "People came to this place to heal themselves two thousand years ago and more. And in this place people dedicated objects, statues, coins, bronzes for their own health and salvation, through water, praying to the gods."

The Etruscan civilisation thrived in Italy 500 years before the arrival of the Roman Republic and the statues are one of the most significant discoveries in the history of the Mediterranean.

Michela Ledda, an archaeologist working on the project, describes his emotions as he watched the figures emerge from the mud.

Michela Ledda: "It was a very strong emotion that I tried to share immediately by looking for the eyes of my companions, because you could not believe it. Let's say that at the beginning you could only see one little foot because it was in a position where only one foot of this statue emerged, but then it turned out to be completely intact. The emotion is huge. These are things that happen I think only once in the life of an archaeologist."

Thousands of coins were also found in the baths where it's believed they were thrown as people wished for good luck and good health. A tradition still carried on around the world today.

What makes this treasure trove even more exciting for archaeologists is that they were all found in context. During Christian times, the Etruscan and Roman baths were closed down and not destroyed. The pools were sealed with heavy stone pillars and the statues and artefacts left as a time capsule for the future.