In 2005 the Sangro Valley Project continued work at Monte Pallano and Acquachiara. On Monte Pallano, further geophysical prospection and trial trenches to the north and east of the terrace precinct begun in 2004 were continued in 2005. Excavation on the higher terraces revealed substantial amounts of tile and pottery, but no structures; there was, however, evidence of ‘quarrying’ of the kind observed elsewhere on Monte Pallano.
Any temple in the area has so far proven to be elusive.

At Acquachiara work was continued in Trench 8000. This reopened area was approximately 15 metres long by 7 metres wide. Five strategically placed sondages (A-E) were positioned within the interfaces of the most interesting archaeological deposits.

The area is one of high residuality, with large quantities of Iron Age pottery from a number of dates, and a little Classical/early Hellenistic material. The area seems to be an ancient terrace, which between the seventh and fourth centuries B.C. was surfaced with a series of floor preparations, alternating between gravel and beaten clay. There was evidence of the systematic use of fire, probably for cooking or food preparation; and fragments of quernstone may be linked to wheat seed recovered by flotation. The absence of plausible post-holes and the paucity of daub suggest that this was an outside area, delimited from the surrounding fields by a low wall and a terrace. The site is probably to be interpreted as a marginal area of an Iron Age village or hamlet where food preparation or processing of agricultural products took place. This site adds substantially to discussion of the nature of Samnite rural settlement, which is still poorly understood in the Abruzzo.