These bronzes have been called the “find of the century,' where the ailing set aside their differences to worship and heal.
These bronzes have been called the “find of the century," where the ailing set aside their differences to worship and heal.Field director Emanuele Mariotti leads the excavation at the San Casciano dei Bagni thermal baths — separated from spa pools that are still in use today by mere yards and a simple fence.
According to researchers, the artifacts may demonstrate that for nearly a thousand years, those who came to San Casciano were visiting an established center of medicine where they had a viable chance of being cured. That cure came not just by divine intervention, but likely also by skilled healers with knowledge of human anatomy and maladies and an understanding of the curative properties of the hot mineral water that still bubbles up all over the valley.
But the bronzes at San Casciano challenge this accepted history. Instead, they provide contextual evidence of Etruscan and Latin cultures and peoples peacefully coexisting and coming together to solicit cures, give thanks to the gods, and seek treatment for ailments. Many of the recently uncovered bronzes are inscribed in Etruscan or Latin and are contemporary to each other, showing that the Etruscan language survived much longer than previously thought.
The archaeological record also yields plenty of insights into ancient medical understanding and practices in Italy during the Roman imperial period.
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