At the end of July the excavation of the theatre was completed, with the total removal of the medieval fill, almost down to the orchestra floor level.

The abundant pottery recovered dated mostly to between the 11th and 13th century. The presence of significant quantity of lumps of burnt clay (relating to the predominant production of brick and tile, and, in a lesser quantity than the table wares), probably production waste, suggested that the kiln activity, seen last year, was probably the reason why the cavea was filled in. The excavation revealed the good state of preservation of the structure’s western side, starting from the kerkydes between the media and ima cavea, where conspicuous remains of the marble facing on the seating and praecinctiones were still in situ.

Fragments were found which have helped to clarify the reconstruction of the decorative scheme of the scaenae frons, and of the space in front of the versurae, like the capital of a semi-pilaster decorated with victories and trophies.

Between the 7th and 9th century, a building site was set up on the orchestra which undertook robbing activities, demonstrating that the theatre had become a sort of quarry for the reworking of coloured marble and the reduction of white marble into lime. The columns, architraves and capitals were sorted into uniform groups by type and size. Amongst the heaped up material were sculptural fragments, architectural elements and even fragments from inscriptions. The latter included the dedication of a monument, partially abraded, due to damnatio memoriae, which seemed to come from a monument celebrating Septimius Severus’ powerful Praetorian Prefect Gaius Fulvius Plauzianus.

Finally, two trenches dug in the area of the portico pone scaenam ascertained the existence of, and above all the position of, the floor level at three metres below the orchestra floor of imperial date.