Systematic sampling was undertaken inside the Grotta del Cavallo at Nardo for sedimentary and pollen analyses. The research aim was the reconstruction of the climate and environment relating to the grotto’s occupation phases in an arc of time between 100.000 and 40.000 years ago.

Systematic archaeological investigations were not planned for 2009, instead work concentrated on the maintenance of the area and the completion of the investigations aimed at the characterization of the areas involved in the supply of lithic raw materials. This research, begun several years ago, had produced interesting results and therefore it was decided to extend the areas of the study. On the spot investigations of relevant sites and field survey aimed at the recording of areas with raw lithic materials mapped 15 outcrops, from which geological samples were taken for comparison with the archaeological material of the middle and upper Palaeolithic. The final aim of this study is the definition of the mobility strategies of Palaeolithic human groups.

No excavations were planned for 2010. Maintenance work was carried out together with the completion of the investigations aimed at documenting the raw lithic materials, begun in previous years, and aimed at widening the survey areas given the interesting results reached so far. The inspections and surveys of the areas with available raw materials led to the mapping of 15 outcrops. Samples were taken to be compared with the archaeological material from the middle and upper Paleolithic periods. This research is aimed towards defining the strategies behind the movements of groups of humans in the Paleolithic period.

The 2013 campaign looked at layer C, underlying the late Upper Paleolithic deposit (layer B) that was investigated during earlier excavations. During his excavations in the 1960s, A. Palma de Cesnola described the layer as a level of volcanic sands with intrusions from the late Upper Paleolithic. However, the 2013 exploration showed it to be a succession of occupation levels, some with areas of combustion, and levels of reddened, more or less sterile sands. A preliminary examination of the finds dates them to the Upper Paleolithic period.

During the 2014 season, the excavations investigated the base of layer B (final Upper Paleolithic) and the underlying stratigraphic sequence, post-dating the known Uluzzian sequence, and its relationship with the levels investigated in 2013 and the sequence of layer C was established. Described by A. Palma di Cesnolla during his excavations in the 1960s as a level of volcanic sands with intrusions from the final Upper Palaeolithic, the 2013 and 2014 on the contrary showed that it was an articulated and ordered succession of anthropic horizons, some with patches of burning, and levels of almost sterile, reddened sands. A preliminary study of the collected materials dates them to the Upper Palaeolithic period.

Nella campagna di scavo 2016 l'indagine stratigrafica ha interessato una porzione residua dello strato B (Paleolitico superiore di _facies_ romanelliana), contenente due sottostrutture (fosse) che rappresentano la continuità delle analoghe cavità già messe in luce con gli scavi pregressi. Al di sotto è stata messa in luce una porzione residua, ancora in giacitura primaria, relativa al Paleolitico superiore arcaico di _facies_ uluzziana, sopravvissuta ai rimaneggiamenti dei clandestini. Una parte della campagna è stata dedicata alla bonifica del terreno rimosso conseguente agli scavi non autorizzati risalenti al periodo 19666-1975, al fine di valutare l'entità complessiva del deposito in posto post-musteriano che potrà essere oggetto di indagini future.

This season excavation took place at the top of layer B, revealing several anthropological levels relating to the transition between the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. Part of the campaign was dedicated the reclamation of the terrain removed between 1966-1975, in order to evaluate the overall nature of the deposit in the post-Mousterian period.