'Truly extraordinary' ancient offerings, including statues of snakes and a child priest, found submerged in 'healing' spring in Italy

Archaeologists in Italy have dug down deeper into a hot spring that was used, over two millennia ago, by a people known as the Etruscans as a sacred place to leave their votive offerings.

Located at San Casciano dei Bagni, a municipality located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Rome, the spring started being used for votive offerings, or offerings given in hopes of divine protection or intervention, as early as the third century B.C., according to a translated statement from the Italian Ministry of Culture. The people who used it were known as the Etruscans, who thrived in Italy from around 2,600 years ago. The Etruscans were gradually conquered and assimilated by the Roman Republic as it expanded.

Even after the Romans took full control of the area, the spring kept being used for offerings and some of the excavated remains have inscriptions written in Latin. A few even praise the Roman emperor, calling him a divine person.

Archaeologists have been excavating the spring since 2019, and previously reported finding two-dozen stunning bronze sculptures and thousands of coins. The latest finds discovered during the 2024 excavation at the spring include several bronze snake statues that were found in some of the springs' deepest deposits. The snake statues vary in size, with the largest measuring 35 inches (90 centimeters) long. These snake statues may have been placed in the spring to act like protectors of the area, the statement said.

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The team also found a number of other statues, including a nude male body found cut in half. It contains an inscription written in Latin that says the statue is from a man named "Gaius Roscius" who dedicates it to the spring. The fact that it was cut in half may have been related to the supposed healing powers of the spring, the statement said.

Related: Scientists solve the mystery of the Etruscans' origins

Another small statue, possibly that of a child, shows an augur, or a priest who could perform divination. He holds a ball in his left hand, something that may have been used for divination rituals, the statement said. His right leg has an Etruscan inscription, which is not yet deciphered.

Other finds included a small statue of a bronze bull, an ornate lamp, glass ointment jars and numerous coins that date to the time of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire.

The discoveries made at the site "are truly extraordinary and among the most significant to be discovered in the 21st century," Alexandra Carpino, an art history professor at Northern Arizona University who is not involved with the excavation, told Live Science in an email. "No other site has and continues to reveal such a diversity of high-quality bronze dedications that provide a fuller picture of the role that healing sanctuaries played in the lives of worshippers."

The team also found a large amount of well-preserved organic remains. These include the remains of thousands of eggs. In some cases, they are so well-preserved that the yolk is still visible inside in eggs that are not fully intact. The eggs may have been deposited during rituals associated with rebirth and regeneration, the statement reported. The excellent preservation appears to be because the egg shells were covered by sediments shortly after they were deposited.

Remains of pine cones, twigs and other vegetation were also found. It's possible that these symbolized the belief that the waters of the spring were nourished by nature, the statement said.

Live Science contacted the archaeology team but has not heard back at time of publication.