Investigations were undertaken by the University of Padua in the locality of Posmon (lot 14), an area situated in the western sector of the modern city, where since the mid 1800s finds and excavations have brought to light a vast Venetian and Roman necropolis. The university’s work is part of a large project called “Archeogeo Montebelluna” for the study and valorisation of the historic town centre, and which involves numerous public and private organisations (Regional Superintendency, Archaeological Superintendency of the Veneto, the municipality of Montebelluna, the Montebelluna Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, the Cassamarca Foundation, the project’s main sponsor).

The three excavation campaigns undertaken to date (2006-2007) have brought to light a Roman building with a rectangular plan (circa 210 m2). In its final phase it had eight rooms arranged on the north, east and west sides of an uncovered area which probably opened to the south. The preserved remains and the excavation of the layers of collapse showed that the walls, standing up to 80 cm high, comprised a footing of alternating courses of large cobbles and brick fragments bonded with clay whilst the standing part of the wall was a “poor” construction of unbaked clay and wood. The roofing had been constructed with great care using flat tiles and imbrices on wooden beams. The substantial nature of the collapses made it possible to reconstruct, near the excavation, a tract of the collapsed footing and a part of the original roof which used tiles of various sizes: interventions which were very useful from the point of view of teaching.

Some data relating to the building’s function also emerged: the presence of four quadrangular hearths, similar in form and position, but built using different techniques, of a small oven and of one or more water tanks attested the mainly productive function of the complex. This was confirmed by numerous waste products recovered in the eastern part of the building which preliminary analyses undertaken at the Geo-sciences department (Padova University) seem to attribute to metal working.

As regards chronology, the few fragments of pottery collected so far, the tile stamps found in the collapse and in situ (including those of Caius Messius, Titus Messius, Caius Fulvius, individuals already known in the territory of Montebelluna and Trevigiano), and the coins date the use of the complex to within the 1st-2nd century A.D. Robbing on the site continued until the 3rd century A.D.