Important new finds came to light at the north-eastern edge of the Campanian plain, where Monte S. Angelo a Palomba (679 m a.s.l.) rises. The remains of a defensive wall of limestone blocks were revealed along northern side of this mountain complex, built on three rises. The archaeological remains, including substantial traces of habitation, were concentrated on the westernmost rise.

An emergency excavation was undertaken on the southern terrace which showed the highest concentration of structures. The trenches, situated at various points, revealed a terrace wall of yellow tufa blocks that could be reconstructed for a length of 87 m. It was preserved to a maximum height of 2 m, following the profile of the upper terrace on a west-east alignment. At the centre of this area a large cistern built of limestone blocks was uncovered. The containing structure was built in steps and its foundations rested directly on the bed rock whose surface had previously been levelled.

The easternmost trench revealed the access to the upper terrace via an entrance with a beaten earth pavement. formed by an oblique corridor, delimited by two walls of tufa blocks. A collapse of tile and imbrices suggests that the structure was covered by a pitched roof.

The uniformity of the destruction debris and of the materials recovered from the foundations, together with fragments of cups with enlarged rims and in reserved black glaze ware, date the construction and early abandonment of the defensive walls to the early Hellenistic period. Numerous interesting pottery sherds were found inscribed with letters and symbols (X, five pointed stars, stylised vegetal motifs). A wall sherd from a banded cup was inscribed in Oscan [- – ]atieis viti+[ – -], an onomastic formula in the genitive case. Another interesting find was a fragment of a nimbate antefix perhaps with a gorgon’s mask, which presumably belonged to a religious building.