This was the third excavation campaign in the Grotta delle Nottole in the locality of Fondarca, near Pieia in the territory of Cagli (PE – Marche). The Grotta, situated on Monte Nerone in the northern Marche is an important context for what it can tell us about how Bronze Age populations in central Italy used natural cavities for ritual purposes. Following the first research undertaken by Tuscia University between 2001 and 2005, new investigations began in 2013. The excavations confirmed that this cavity can be associated with the group of caves in the Sentino gorge, with elements suggesting relationships within the period of the Grotta Nuova facies reaching along the middle-Tyrrhenia strip and use until the end of the Recent Bronze Age.
The 2016 campaign, like the previous one, aimed to extend the excavation area, confirming the periodic use of the cave. A new strip of quadrants was opened on the excavation’s north front, towards the inner part of the cavity. Like last year, no burials or residential structures were found, while new hearths continued to be documented and which represent the main features of the cave. A very small amount of archaeological material was recovered. The very fragmentary pottery included only a few diagnostic sherds. The faunal remains were also scarce and were all sheep-goat. It is possible that this natural environment was chosen for occasional convivial or ritual activities, probably at specific periods of the year. Although the 2016 campaign did not provide any new data with respect to last year, the extension of the exposed area made it possible to define further the areas of use within the grotto.