San Casciano dei Bagni: Archaeology as Political Act

The Etruscan bronze discoveries at San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany are reframed as a political argument for sustained investment in humanities research. The excavation, led by Emanuele Mariotti and Jacopo Tabolli of the University for Foreigners of Siena, began in 2019 after documentary evidence from the 12th to 17th centuries suggested a sacred thermal spring site. Initial finds were modest—bronze coins and small statues—but the team persisted, uncovering a cache of 24 large bronze statues and thousands of coins in 2022. The author, Gabriella De Marco, a professor of contemporary art history at the University of Palermo, uses this case to critique neoliberal metrics that prioritize economic returns over intrinsic cultural value. She argues that research requires risk, patience, and funding that respects intuition, not just productivity. The project involved 60 experts from multiple disciplines and was supported by the municipality, the Tuscany region, the Ministry of Culture, and the University for Foreigners of Siena. De Marco calls for continuous, granular funding and warns against subordinating culture to tourism flows and impact indices.