The necropolis is situated in the territory of Alghero (SS) to the north-west of the modern town. The excavated part covers 1.2 hectares on the south/south-western slope of Monte Carru (92 m a.s.l.), while part of it remains unexplored in the olive groves to the south. This excavation was undertaken as a watching brief prior to the subdivision of the land for construction purposes. The settlement associated with this burial ground was probably, according to the Itinerarium Antonini (3rd century A.D.), the ancient way-station of Carbia, on the western arm of the Roman road network between the settlements of Nure and Bosa. This settlement, identified at a few hundred metres to the south-west in the locality of La Purissima, Carrabuffas region, presents a Nuragic sanctuary reused in the Roman period, a bath structure, the remains of floors and buildings and surface scatters of archaeological material covering several hectares.

This cemetery was used between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D., with evidence for both cremation and inhumation. The spatial analysis of the divisions into community or family groups is ongoing. The burials, circa 350, were indirect cremations in rocky crevices, in ‘cassone laterizio’ and ‘a cappuccina’ (both of small size), in amphora and in jars. There were also direct cremations in bustum with ‘a cappuccina’ covering. The majority of the inhumations were aligned east-west although others were on different alignments in order to fit into the available space. The inhumations were in earth graves with tile covering; in rock-cut graves with ‘a cappuccina’ and ‘piattabanda’ (flat stones) coverings, and in amphora. The grave goods in the cremations were richer (1st – 2nd century A.D.) and become scarcer in the later inhumations (mainly 2nd – 3rd century A.D.) situated in the lower part of the hill, characterised by red ignimbrite rock that is softer than that chosen for the cremations, which for the most part are situated slightly further up the hill in a zone of grey ignimbrite rock.