Ancient worshipers left eggs and snake statues in hot spring. They were just found

Over 2,000 years ago, worshipers gathered around a hot spring with precious items ranging from statues to food and dropped the gifts into the muddy water. The offerings weren’t seen again — until now.

Archaeologists recently finished another round of excavations at an ancient sanctuary in Tuscany, Italy, the country’s Ministry of Culture said in a Dec. 3 news release.

The site, now known as the sanctuary of Bagno Grande, had a central hot spring considered sacred by the ancient Romans and the ancient Etruscans who lived in the area before them. Between the third century B.C. and fifth century A.D., worshipers dropped offerings into the spring in hopes their gods would give them something in exchange.

Unbeknownst to the worshipers, the hot muddy waters preserved their gifts in excellent condition, transforming the sanctuary into a haven for archaeologists.

Now, after five years of excavations, archaeologists have dug 16 feet into the spring and uncovered some of its deepest offerings. The finds range from bronze statues to coins to eggs.

Archaeologists said the ancient egg offerings symbolized rebirth. A photo shows an intact egg, one of thousands of egg fragments found.

Several bronze snake statues also reemerged, likely symbols of divination and protection. Photos show two of the life-like reptiles, including the largest one which had a beard, horns and an almost 3-feet-long writhing body.

Archaeologists also found four bronze human figures. One male statue was cut in half with surgeon-like precision. Another mostly complete statue held a rotating ball in its hand, possibly a ritual symbol. Photos show a few of these artifacts.

Other ancient offerings included metal body parts, such as legs, heads or arms. Archaeologists theorized the partial sculptures indicated the body part the worshiper hoped would be healed, the ministry said.

Archaeologists also identified some Latin and Etruscan inscriptions on the statues.

Based on previous finds, archaeologists believe the sanctuary of Bagno Grande likely worshiped Apollo, god of the sun, for a portion of its existence and focused on themes of medicinal care, health, hygiene and protection of life.

Other finds at the 2,000-year-old sanctuary included coins, a gold ring, a crown and plant materials.

Excavations finished in October, but analysis and conservation work is ongoing. Officials plan to open a new museum at the site.

The sanctuary is located in San Casciano dei Bagni, about 100 miles north of Rome in the province of Siena and the larger region of Tuscany.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Italy’s Ministry of Culture.

This story was originally published December 4, 2024 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Ancient worshipers left eggs and snake statues in hot spring. They were just found."

Aspen Pflughoeft

McClatchy DC

Aspen Pflughoeft covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Minerva University where she studied communications, history, and international politics. Previously, she reported for Deseret News.