Lot 1 (trench 1052-3051), opened as part of the watching brief on the route of the TAV railway line, revealed traces of settlements destroyed by the Pomici di Avellino eruption, which preserved a number of structural elements datable to the late Bronze Age (Palma Campania facies). A series of post holes and two perimeter earth banks were identified, relating to a structure whose complete plan has yet to be uncovered. This structure, along the earth bank, presented a series of post arranged both internally and externally, the impressions of numerous canes that had been vertically fixed and the horizontal impressions made by the collapses of woven straw walls. In some of the excavation areas heaps of straw were visible on the ancient ground surface, perhaps the remains of roofing. Immediately outside the eastern edge of the excavation area were several pits with clear impressions of woven straw, the earth fill contained a number of carbonised seeds. Across the entire area numerous fragments of impasto pottery, mainly of the Palma Campania facies were found. Furthermore, human footprints left by groups of individuals moving in different directions, and of animals, perhaps in flight at the first signs of the volcano’s imminent violent eruption. In the same lot a group of tufa “a cassa” tombs were found, with grave goods datable to the 4th century B.C. The necropolis comprised eight adult and three infant burials, partly disturbed by tomb robbers. Some of the quadrangular graves were lined and covered by slabs of yellow tufa. The tomb groups mainly comprised locally manufactured black glaze vases, some with stamped or wheel-made decoration, Red-figure ware vases and plain buff ware vases. There was a smaller number of metal artefacts, including a strigil and an iron dagger, fibulae, rings and other personal ornaments, some made of silver.

A dense series of human and animal footprints came to light in lot 1, as in other lots on the route of the TAV railway, above the primary deposit of the so-called Pomici di Avellino eruption (3457 + 66 b.p. 18th century B.C.). The footprints, which attest an intense passage of individuals and animals sometime soon after the formation of the deposit itself, are impressed in the various layers of mud which were deposited in the decades following the Pomici di Avellino eruption. Amongst the animal prints those of cattle, dogs, sheep/goat and horses were recognisable, often associated over vast, extraordinarily crowded surface areas. A three dimensional survey was made of the most important footprints with the aim of recovering completely new anthropological and faunal data, through the laser scanning of the ground surface.

Investigations continued in lot 1. On the ancient ground surface which had formed over the ashes from the Agnano 3 eruption (46000 b.p.) a structure with a sub-rectangular plan appeared. It had an apse in one of its short sides and was on an east/north-east/west/south-west alignment. Outside the south side a burial in an earth grave, containing an adult individual in fetal position, was uncovered. The material found dated these remains to an early phase of the Neolithic period (trench 3112). A settlement area was also identified. This was characterised by the presence of numerous kilns associated with firing floors attributable to a production area that was partly enclosed. The excavation recovered a large amount of pottery of the Palma Campania facies and a bronze dagger (trench 1011).