During construction of the “Tre Valli” road, earth movement for the creation of the Orte-Falconara railway underpass exposed the southern section of a 6th-7th century A.D. necropolis.
Eighteen tombs were excavated, most containing multiple depositions. Based on the burial typologies, three nuclei were identified, perhaps corresponding with three phases of use. Two amphora burials were found separately in marginal positions with respect to the cemetery. Starting from the north-west a first nucleus was formed by six “a cappuccina” burials. Almost all had been re-opened for the deposition of at least one other individual. The second group comprised two burials in terracotta sarcophagi, an “a cappuccina” tomb that had been completely wrecked by the deposition of several more individuals, and a simple earth grave containing two skeletons.

The third nucleus, datable to between the end of the 6th century and the first half of the 7th century A.D., was constituted by two pit graves, their walls lined with medium sized stones, containing single individuals, and three large burials of sub-trapezoidal shape (2 × 2.5 m), with low walls of small stones and brick/tile fragments bonded with mortar. The floors were made up of horizontally placed re-used tile and triangular brick fragments. The tombs were covered by timber planks sealed with lime. Two of the three tombs were intact. The first contained four individuals lying one beside the other, the second the remains of and adult and infant, while the third revealed the remains of three articulated skeletons (two adults and one sub-adult). The deposition of the latter had made it necessary to heap the remains of at least five other individuals along the tomb’s east wall. All tombs were on the same alignment (east-west). Four rectangular pits found in pairs within the excavated area seemed associated with the necropolis. Each contained the remains of two bovine skeletons.