Investigation of the settlement of Gianiera Piccola brought to light an “a grotticella” tomb with an access shaft situated on the western edge of the excavation’s central area. The tomb had been sacked. Hints at the presence of an important tomb (n. 7/05) had emerged during the 2005 excavations when, at some depth, an antefix of the Magna-Grecian type in the form of a medusa’s head was found.

The 2006 excavation revealed that tomb 7/05 was originally “a grotticella”, probably containing two burials. Only part of the chamber’s south side was preserved with the remains of a skeleton in a fetal position and fragmentary grave goods dating to the 4th century B.C. (Daunian pottery). The fill of the destroyed tomb contained bronze laminae from a belt, pottery fragments and another fragment of medusa head antefix. These finds prove that this was an aristocratic burial. At the feet of the deceased was a floral style Daunian jar decorated with coloured bands and vegetal frieze, with modelled protome, datable to the second half of the 4th century B.C. Near the tomb a number of tanks were found that can be associated with funerary rites (the westernmost one took the form of an oval pit, whilst the eastern one had two parts, one oblong and shallow, the other larger). In the south-west corner of the area an inhumation was found with the deceased laid in a fetal position, with a pottery tomb group: an iron spearhead and a sword identify this as a male burial.

In sector G the excavation uncovered three stretches of paving: the first on an east/west alignment, with well-made oblong paving stones laid in a spiral decorative motif; the second was rectangular in shape on a south/east-north/west alignment, whilst the third and final stretch was on a north-south alignment. The discovery of a nucleus of houses, partially preserved at foundation level, dated the latest phase of this sector to the end of the 4th century B.C.