An in-depth study has been undertaken by geologists from CNR at Potenza in the area of the Lucanian sanctuary of Rossano di Vaglio. The primary objective was to get an exact idea of the nature of the land-slippage that has effected the sanctuary’s structures and to monitor its movements. As regards the excavation, a trench was opened with the aim of uncovering the remains of a 1st century B.C. wall, probably built to create a terrace in an area where the ground level had been slightly raised. The wall (6m long) cuts levels dating to between the 4th to 3rd century B.C. (a date based on the presence of black glaze ware and Roman bronze as} The remains emerged of a pavement of stone basoli, the same as that which came to light in the area known as the front of the temple, dating to the 1st century B.C.

Another trench has shown that the supposed temenos wall incorporating the fountains did not function as a terrace wall in antiquity. It was in fact part of one or more rooms with tiled roofs. A new inscription was found within the wall, incised on a fragmentary sandstone block. On one face is a three line inscription, partially obliterated in the Greek alphabet and Oscan language, which according to the preliminary research undertaken by Paolo Pocetti cannot be earlier than the 3rd century B.C. The text is as follows:

(Mefitis) Utianai
…pies – t
(Ma)mertoi

This is probably a dedication to Mefitis Utiana and to Mamaerte made by some person of rank whose name ends in “...PIES”. The block had been reused in the wall’s construction.