The Etruscan site of Ghiaccio Forte was discovered in 1970 and has been excavated over the years by the Archaeological Superintendency of Tuscany (Anna Talocchini, Paola Rendini) and the University of Santa Barbara –California (Mario A. Del Chiaro). It became the property of the municipality of Scansano, which from 1999 has promoted research and conservation activities through the Civic Museum of Archaeology.

Ghiaccio Forte is a hill dominating the central part of the river Albegna, close to fords and roads. In the 6th century B.C. a rural sanctuary stood on the site. It was demolished after two centuries of use to make way for a fortification. An imposing system of defences surrounded the summit, protecting a residential complex at the centre of the area.

The walls, gates and houses were inspired by the most advanced Hellenistic models and constituted a garrison of Vulci in a border area crossed by important routes between the hinterland and the coast and the north and south, along the valleys of the Albegna and its tributaries. The settlement was destroyed at the beginning of the 3rd century B.C., probably in 280 B.C. when Vulci was conquered by the Romans.

In 2007 and 2008 research concentrated on the eastern hill, close to the scarce remains of some rooms from a house. Here a complex was uncovered formed by a shelter with a tile roof which protected a number of dolia, a roof around a hearth, an open area and a system for rain water collection (channel, tank and dolium) which seemed to relate to productive and craft working activities, including metal working (iron and copper). These structures thus appeared to constitute a workshop area that was separated from the high status residence at the centre of the fortification.