This archaeological research undertaken by the Università degli Studi “Suor Orsola Benincasa”, Naples was directed by Prof. Umberto Pappalardo, the site supervisor was Dr. Mario Grimaldi and Dr. Maria Vallifuoco was in charge of recording. Work was carried out in the garden of the House of M. Fabius Rufius (Regio VII, Ins. 16, Ins. Occ 22) with the aim of gaining an understanding of the occupation phases of the house.

The garden (1,581 m2 ) is situated west of the house, up against the city wall built in opus quadratum with Sarno limestone. The garden appeared to be bordered by walls of different periods and construction techniques. The left side is constituted in the western stretch by a wall in opus incertum of lava chippings, whilst the eastern stretch shows a good example of opus reticulatum in Neapolitan yellow tufa. This tract of wall presents the springing of the impost of a barrel vault, which was not found in the first excavations during the 1960s and 1970s (respectively by A. Maiuri and M.G. Cerulli Irelli).

The east side is bordered by a wall faced with Neapolitan yellow tufa opus reticulatum divided by three rectangular niches with a distance of circa 18,5 m between them. On this wall, in both the north and south corners the springing for a vault are also visible, only completely preserved to the south. The south side is closed by a wall in Neapolitan yellow tufa opus reticulatum, which is badly conserved in its western tract.

The garden was closed to the west by a wall in opus incertum, of tufa chippings, on a north-south alignment.