The first excavation campaign at Riparulo, Anzano di Puglia took place in October 2000. The choice of site was determined by continuous finds of archaeological material in the ploughsoil and by the site’s toponym which suggests its importance. In fact, this toponym, which derives from the word Hulo, frequently occurs in the area and refers to one of the twelve divinities of the Iguvine Tablets (3rd century B.C.), thus denoting the sacred nature of the area in the prehistoric period and thereby creating the basis for an archaeological investigation. The excavation was preceded by archival research, in particular the documents of the Abbey of Cava dei Tirreni, which owned the ancient fiefs of Santa Maria and San Pietro di Olivola. These documents mention an ancient civitas of which this site may have been a part. The same source also mentions the existence on the site of a church dedicated to Sant’Anna. However, on the basis of the material recovered (datable to the 4th and 5th centuries A.D.) and the structures found, it is possible to hypothesize the existence of an early cult building. This theory is supported by finds of fragments of early Christian lamps and the continuation of work on the site has produced further support, particular from the numismatic evidence, for this idea. The coins recovered on the site, although covering an extremely long period of time, from the Augustan period to the unification of Italy, show that it was occupied throughout the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. A fragment of early Christian lamp with Campanian type motifs has provided the basis for an interesting research project, already underway, on the penetration of Christianity into the sub-Appennine area of southern Daunia. (Francesco Paolo Maulucci, Massimo Mastroiorio)