In 1998, during completion of restoration work on the late 15th century convent of S. Teresa dei Maschi, (now home of the De Gemmis Provincial Library) in the historic centre of Bari, excavations were undertaken in the cloister and on the north and east sides of the surrounding portico. In the 1970s and 80s a notable depth (3.50 m below ground level) had been reached during excavations relating to the first restoration of the complex.

During the more recent excavations an extensive area of settlement and religious-funerary nature, in use from the late antique period until the late medieval period, was uncovered.
Among the most important archaeological evidence identified by the excavation were two overlying churches. The earliest was a small, single nave cult building with a single apse, preserved at foundation level.
On the basis of the stratigraphic relationships this building can be dated to a period between the end of the 7th/8th century and the beginning of the 9th century.

The construction of the overlying church can be dated to the Byzantine phase. Of this structure only two of the presumably three apses and the northern perimeter wall, characterised by pairs of pilasters and a blocked entrance, remained in situ. Moreover, the numerous fresco fragments, datable stylistically to the 10th century, probably belonged to this building. Found in the abandonment layers of the probable central nave, the original figured decoration (folds of clothing, male faces, background scenery and parts of frames) was still clearly visible on some of these fragments.

A densely occupied cemetery area constituted by sixteen tombs characterised the archaeological complex. The tombs were formed by anthropoid graves, lined with stone, placed on the canonical east-west alignment inside and outside of the small, single nave church, on several levels. This church may be interpreted as a gathering place for funerals.
The difference in date between the earliest and the latest tombs cannot be clearly defined due to the complete lack of grave goods and for the structural analogies found in the tomb typologies within the various levels.

An imposing wall dates to an intermediate settlement phase between the two churches (early medieval). This was preserved in two sections, already partially uncovered in 1988. This substantial structure, on a north-south alignment was built with large limestone polygonal blocks bonded with sandy mortar. It was 1.50 wide and was uncovered to a reconstructable length of 12 m, and was preserved to a height of circa 1 m. An attractive hypothesis, but one that needs to be checked in more depth in the light of the new and interesting proposals regarding the interpretation of the urban lay-out in the south-eastern sector of Bari, suggests that this imposing structure could be a stretch of the Byzantine city walls.

Limited traces of the earliest settlement phase identified at S. Teresa were uncovered in a deep trench that was necessarily very small for safety reasons and due to the appearance of the water table. It was dug below the earliest level of tombs inside the single nave building. A substantial nucleus of amphorae and ARS associated with examples of pottery painted with light red wide bands dates to the late antique occupation. As regards the site’s final occupation phase clear signs of structural alterations to the Byzantine church attest its prolonged use which continued at least until the late medieval period.