Italian archaeologists have unearthed 24 beautifully preserved bronze statues in Tuscany believed to date back to ancient Roman times....
BITS ‘N’ PIECES
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.
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.
It suggested that the statues had been immersed in thermal waters in a sort of ritual. You give to the water because you hope that the water gives something back to you.
The statues, which were preserved by the water, will be taken to a restoration laboratory in nearby Grosseto, before eventually being put on display in a new museum in San Casciano.
It is one of the most significant bronze finds ever made in the history of the ancient Mediterranean. The Riace Bronzes - discovered in 1972 - depict a pair of ancient warriors. They are believed to date back to around 460-450BC.
Ash Ketchum, the lead character in the Pokemon anime series, has won the Pokemon World Championship.
Fans of the franchise have expressed their delight at the character becoming the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world, more than 25 years after the first episode of the programme aired.
A tweet from the official Pokemon Twitter account congratulating Ash has received almost 200,000 likes.
The series, which originated as a video game, has run for over 1,200 episodes.
The anime has followed Ash Ketchum in his quest to become a Pokemon Master since 1997, when the character met electric mouse creature Pikachu on his 10th birthday.
Over the last 25 years, viewers have watched him train as he aimed to become the strongest Pokemon trainer. In the series, Pokemon trainers catch mythical creatures known as pocket monsters and battle them against each other.
As well as the animated TV show, the original Japanese Game Boy game also spawned a trading card game, more than 20 movies and a host of merchandise from pogs (collectable cardboard discs) to soft toys.
Most seasons of the anime follow Ash's journey across various fictional regions catching Pokemon as he aimed to win eight gym badges to qualify for their Pokemon League.
