Marble statue of Apollo the Lizard Killer discovered in Tuscany (photo)

In Italy, during excavations of ancient Etruscan and Roman sacred baths, a marble statue of Apollo Sauroctonos (Apollo the Lizard Killer) was discovered. The discovery was made in San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany.

The statue depicts a young Apollo leaning against a tree to catch a lizard climbing up the trunk. It is a Roman copy of a bronze original by the famous Greek sculptor Praxiteles, The History Blog reports.

The statue was discovered on the edge of the Great Bath, a hot spring that was sacred to the Etruscans and Romans. The statue was broken into sections, but the pieces are large and most of them have been restored, so the statue can be reassembled almost completely.

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Apollo was one of the main deities of the sanctuary. Hot springs and mineral waters were believed to cure diseases, and people seeking treatment worshipped the gods associated with health.

The lizard hunted by Apollo on the statue also had medical significance. Lizards were key ingredients in medicines for eye diseases.

As a reminder, human remains 10,000 years old were discovered in Vietnam for the first time.

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