The site at the Trasanello cement factory, discovered by G. Lionetti and V. Camerini, was investigated by the Archaeological Superintendency of Basilicata in 1997. Eleven trenches were opened and documented the extension of the village and a ditch, partially interrupted by later rebuilds.

The new excavations began in September 2007 under the direction of the Superintendency in collaboration with the University of Pisa.
Four trenches were opened:

TRENCH I (5 × 4 m) – innermost and highest point of the village, where hill-wash had eroded the deposit. A small amount of material was found on the surface.

TRENCH II (30 × 1.50 m) -an area situated midway along the short axis of the village, on a north-west/south-east alignment. Following the discovery of three post holes, two new trenches were opened on either side of the original trench. In the first (Trench IIa of circa 12 m2) four holes emerged, in the second (Trench IIb of circa 24 m2) two holes emerged on the border with the central trench. The nine holes were cut into the calcarenite bed-rock on a central and slightly raised surface. The distribution of at least seven of the nine holes suggested the existence of two parallel rows of three and four holes at a recurring distance and different depths, depending on the preservation of the rock (minimum 3 cm to a maximum of 17 cm). A modest amount of material was recovered, non of which of use for dating the structure relating to the post-holes.

TRENCH III (4.50 × 7.50 metri) – to the south-east in correspondence with the ditch fill. The area of circa 34 m2 overlay the ditch, the line of which was marked by a difference in the vegetation. On the interior a stretch of the ditch’s inner edge emerged, which in the south-west corner was partially covered by a rather unhomogeneous collapse, constituted by medium-small stones and some calcarenite blocks. The external edge of the ditch was also below a collapse, extending from south-east to north-east as far as covering part of the fill. Following the removal of the two lateral collapses excavation of the compact rock (calcarenite) continued to define the internal and external edges of the ditch. The internal border was quite regular in the central section and tended to close in on itself on the outer sides. The external border was more or less curvilinear.

Excavation of the fill continued with the removal of the surface deposit which produced a very small amount of material: millstone, grinder, flint, impasto pottery including one fragment with impressed decoration, and modern pottery.

TRENCH IV the first tumulus immediately adjacent to Trench I. This circular monumental structure had a diameter of circa 20 m. It was built of limestone boulders which had been purposely transported into the village for its construction.