As part of the work for the creation of the Ecomuseo dei Paesaggi di Pietra di Acquarica di Lecce (project approved by MiBAC), an intense campaign of excavation and reconstruction was undertaken in the locality of Pozzo Seccato on the Messapian-Roman settlement first identified in 1997 by the University of Salento. Work was undertaken on the north, west and east fortifications in particular, that had been partially investigated and reconstructed in past years.

On then north side of the fortifications the lowest levels of the collapse of blocks from the external facing were reached. These levels were constituted by tufina still visible along the line of the walls; one badly preserved block was visible in the eastern sector. On the eastern side of the fortifications recently formed layers of earth and stones were excavated. The absence of substantial archaeological evidence can be attributed to post-depositional disturbance (above all ploughing and other agricultural activities). On the western side the modern dry-stone wall was dismantled and the layers of stones relating to the collapse of the internal wall were excavated. At present the walls on a north-south and east-west alignment in the western area of room A are visible, inside which is the probable abandonment layer with elements still in the collapse.

South of room A an arrangement of smoothed stones, similar to a paving, and several layers of collapse were visible. These will be subjected to archeo-botanical analyses (concentration of carbonised logs immediately south of room A). Following the excavation the reconstruction of the fortification’s internal dry-stone structures began. The reconstruction of the northern structure was almost completed, whilst for the east and west sides the intervention was limited to the external part of the structure prior to the completion of the excavations.