Excavations were undertaken on the paleolithic site of Fontana Ranuccio between the 15th September and 12th October 2008.
In 2008 work continued in the same area as in the previous year, investigating the central sector of the deposit of mammal fossils and artifacts, maximum thickness 1.2 m. Over a surface area of circa 50 m2 (and a volume of circa 15 3) 963 finds were recovered, of which 731 were bones (about 100 identifiable), 38 bone implements (or presumed as such) and 87 grey flint artifacts.

The excavation techniques used were those developed over the years for the excavation of the Ranuccio deposit: breaking of the ferriferous crusts with heavy tools (hammers, picks and pneumatic hammer), identification of the finds and their excavation with fine tools, positioning and subsequent removal, using plaster for the large or fractured bones. The recording is the most delicate phase as it is via this that data can be fed into a database to then be used for the taphonomic study. The finds were positioned using optical (reducing diopter) and electronic (total station) instrumentation or differential GPS. Whilst the first produced small plans (mostly 1:50 or 1:20) which were then scanned and geo-referenced, the second provided a list of points with orthogonal coordinates which were then geo-referenced and the GPS provided geographical coordinates which were then fed directly into the GIS Geodata base.
In order to recover the smallest finds samples from circa 1 ton of earth (equal to about 3% of the excavated deposit) was sieved, but only two fragmentary teeth of micro-mammal were found.

On the basis of experience gained in previous campaigns, it was decided not to consolidate the finds in the field, but to prepare them as carefully as possible for removal and transportation. No products were used on the bones, they were wrapped in aluminum film and plaster bandages or, in the case of large bones were plastered using alabaster and metal netting.