The 2018 campaign aimed to deepen the excavation in specific stratigraphic contexts in order to improve the understanding of the site’s principal historical dynamics, and in particular the reconstruction of a stratigraphic sequence that is anchored as closely as possible to absolute dates. Excavation took place in sectors II and II, in the areas adjacent to the centre of the settlement in order to identify the stratigraphies relating to the first occupation phases on the site of Vettricella. In fact, during the 2017 campaign the first layers relating to the period preceding the construction of the concentric ditches and the large central tower-like structure were identified here. During the excavations, the latest occupation layers, rich in archaeological material, were removed from inside the tower. The excavation of the two sectors revealed the remains of structures made of perishable materials, attested by rows of postholes concentrated in the central part of the site and that can be associated with similar materials that emerged during the previous season.

Excavation then continued in the area saddling the internal ditch, both immediately south of the central hump (Sector IV) and in the preceding Sector III, situated to the east and already widely investigated. In this case, the excavations aimed to reach the earliest levels, possibly predating the creation of the ditch, and to define the type of occupation that developed in the exterior area.

The identified stratigraphy revealed repeated occupation connected with production activities. In this case, the investigation was useful for defining the nature of the materials possibly associated with iron working, of which several indicators were found.

Lastly, the excavations concentrated on the area between Sector II and Sector III, mainly characterised by the presence of an extensive cemetery area dating to between the late 10th and early 11 century. This area was partially investigated in 2017, when a building in perishable materials was identified and the use of the surrounding area for funerary purposes was documented. This season’s campaign began by extending the excavations to the north, in order to verify the size of the cemetery area and then excavation took place at specific point to identify the earliest burials. Based on the general stratigraphic sequence of the context, four osteological samples were taken for radiocarbon dating, in order to further define the absolute chronology of the site’s occupation.