In 2000, an archaeological rescue prospection was carried out at Pinoso, motivated by the construction of an alternative route to remove heavy goods traffic from the town centre. This new route covered a section of 2 kilometres which flank this town to the west, between the Campules road and the N-344). This inner zone of the province of Alicante, very close to the border with Murcia, lies in a natural corridor between mountains, acting as a crossroads. Besides being a relatively mountainous area, there are vast plains of fertile lands where today vineyards, olives and almonds are grown. Because of its great natural wealth, it is rich in archaeological sites of different types and dates. Most are concentrated to the north of the town, in the mountainous area, but in the western area, on the plain and in cultivated zones, there are sites related to livestock farms corresponding mostly to Roman villae (Villa del Prado, Villa de El Pinoso, etc.

After an early phase of data collection (bibliography, cartography, consultation of the Archaeological Map, etc.) we began the prospection over an area of 2 kilometres x 100 meters. Initially the method used was a surface prospection of total coverage in transect; when important archaeological remains were detected on the surface a grid prospection was carried out. Near the connection to the C-3213 road, pottery, building and bone materials were identified, concentrated on a surface of 100 × 100 metres. Abundant shards of TSH, of painted pottery of indigenous tradition and of common pottery were identified. No surface structures were observed but there was indeed a large amount of building remains, stones of different sizes, tegulae, imbrices and bone fauna remains.

The location of the remains and the types of materials suggest it is a heretofore unknown Roman site of the villa type. It has been has been named Villa de Malaño, based on the closest toponym. Finally, preventive measures were proposed in order to avoid impacts on the site, such as a new course for the road, as well as archaeological supervision of the work; these measures were accepted by the authorities responsible for culture in Alicante.