During the first months of 2008 archaeological excavations were undertaken in the locality of Santa Palomba (via di Cancelliera Km 2.800). This preliminary investigation came as a result of the declared suitability for building of the land and the projected construction of housing on it. As set down by law in such cases, an assessment of the archaeological risk was undertaken by the appropriate agency prior to the granting of permission to build. Five distinct occupation phases were identified, covering a chronological arc running from the 10th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D.
Phase I: (late Bronze Age)
A burial cut by modern ploughing, found at the centre of the area under investigation, dated to this period. The tomb was excavated by Dr. A. De Santis and Dr. F. Arietti of the SSBAR who also undertook its study and conservation. The tomb contained fragments of an impasto jar with a “net” pattern, a cinerary urn and other material which was not immediately interpretable.

Phase II: (early Republican 4th-3rd century B.C.)
This phase was characterised by a number of burials, of which two were “a cassone” with some grave goods (black glaze skyphoi) datable to the 4th-3rd century B.C., and by a structure of the same period, that was difficult to interpret.

Phase III: (late Republican 2nd-1st century B.C.)
Two burials in the central-eastern sector of the lot under investigation (in trench IV) dated to this period. They were quite distinct from the burials found in the southern sector and were at least two centuries later in date

Phase IV: (early Imperial period 1st-3rd century A.D.)
All the evidence found in the central-western sector of the site dates to this phase. It comprised a series of cuts relating to agricultural activity. These may be interpreted as channels, cisterns, wells and cuniculi and can be associated with the riverbed visible on the eastern edge of the lot, known today by the toponym “fosso di Santa Palomba”.

Phase V. (modern period)
A number of ditches with clean edges and irregular surfaces cut by plough furrows appeared to date to this phase. The walls and bottoms of the features were regular and they had a semi-lamellar silty-clay fill. The scarce amount of pottery found was the result of river wash and provided no precise dating.