Enrico Stefani cites chamber tombs identified in this locality west of the great plateau on which Veii stood.

At the beginning of 2013, a survey recovered the remains of cremation urns, bowls, cups and glass paste beads of Final Bronze Age date on top of the small rise that overlooks the area (perhaps one of the “tumuli” of Oliveto Grande).

A number of sondages revealed the existence of several “well” tombs. Subsequently, a first excavation campaign took place in June-July 2013, directed by the Roma Tre University in collaboration with the Soprintendenza all’Etruria Meridionale, the Direzione Generale alle Antichità del MiBACT, the Soprintendenza al Museo Preistorico ed Etnografico “L. Pigorini” and the Scuola di restauro di Venaria Reale. Twenty-five burials were excavated, the majority damaged by modern ploughing or illegal excavations.

Several cinerary urns were found in double housings made of a poorer quality tufa than the bedrock in which the tombs were cut. Both covering slabs and floor slabs were present in the tombs. In two cases, the slabs lining the “well” formed small pentagonal cists. It may be suggested that during the funerary ritual the personal ornaments of the deceased were also cremated. In the case of the best-preserved tomb group (tomb 6), the biconical urn was covered by a pointed lid (in other cases the urn was closed by a bowl); the urn was accompanied by a small jar, two cups with bifid handles, a jug and a carenated bowl.

The urn, lid, and jug were decorated with bands of grooved and circular decoration, according to a repertory also identified on other artefacts in the necropolis, which together with other vessel typologies, indicate a date within the Final Bronze Age. Material from the settlement identified during the rescue excavations at Isola Farnese (c. 700 m away as the crow flies) also dates to this phase (3A), immediately preceding the beginning of occupation on the Veian plateau.

Only three bronze artefacts were found, two small finger rings and a large fragmented pin. Various types of glass paste beads were recovered and a spindle whorl was found in one tomb.

The urns were excavated in a laboratory and this led to the recovery of two palette-shaped razors with rectangular hollows, one associated with a double folded fibula, the other with a large pin. The number of tombs identified to date makes Pozzuolo one of the largest Final Bronze Age necropolises in south Etruria. It is estimated that the next season will bring the total number of excavated tombs to fifty.