This archaeological research undertaken by the Università degli Studi “Suor Orsola Benincasa”, Naples was directed by Prof. Umberto Pappalardo, the site supervisor was Dr. Mario Grimaldi and Dr. Maria Vallifuoco was in charge of recording. Work was carried out in the garden of the House of M. Fabius Rufius (Regio VII, Ins. 16, Ins. Occ 22) with the aim of gaining an understanding of the occupation phases of the house. The garden (1,581 m2 ) is situated west of the house, up against the city wall built in opus quadratum with Sarno limestone. The garden appeared to be bordered by walls of different periods and construction techniques. The left side is constituted in the western stretch by a wall in opus incertum of lava chippings, whilst the eastern stretch shows a good example of opus reticulatum in Neapolitan yellow tufa. This tract of wall presents the springing of the impost of a barrel vault, which was not found in the first excavations during the 1960s and 1970s (respectively by A. Maiuri and M.G. Cerulli Irelli). The east side is bordered by a wall faced with Neapolitan yellow tufa _opus reticulatum_ divided by three rectangular niches with a distance of circa 18,5 m between them. On this wall, in both the north and south corners the springing for a vault are also visible, only completely preserved to the south. The south side is closed by a wall in Neapolitan yellow tufa _opus reticulatum_, which is badly conserved in its western tract. The garden was closed to the west by a wall in _opus incertum_, of tufa chippings, on a north-south alignment.

The complex of the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus represents one of the important examples within the architectural panorama of Pompeii. The garden, covering 1.581 m2, is situated to the west of the house, up against the town walls, built in _opus quadratum_ of Sarno limestone. Prior to the excavation geo-electric and geo-magnetic surveys were undertaken by the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Naples“Federico II”. During the course of the seven excavation campaigns undertaken to date thirteen trenches of 5 x 5 m have been opened. The research has shed new light on the use of the external area of the largest house in Pompeii, adding to knowledge of the urbanisation and exploitation of the _suburbium_ during a period between the 3rd century B.C. and the eruption in 79 A.D. Recent excavation campaigns have confirmed the very interesting presence of a Hellenistic sanctuary, from which notable architectural elements and pottery finds have been recovered, all datable to between the 3rd and 1st century B.C. During the last campaign the phases of construction and use of a system of cisterns was documented. Five _opus signinum_ tanks remained, preserved in SG 3A-D-F-G-H, and datable to the mid 1st century B.C. The discovery of this drainage system relating to the construction of rows of houses in the II Pompeian style along the town walls supplies new and fundamental data for the overall reinterpretation of Pompeian urbanisation in the period following the establishment of the new _Colonia Cornelia Pompeianorum_. The cisterns were razed in the Giulio-Claudian period for the construction of the new portico in tufa. Subsequently, during the final phase of the house, between 62 and 79 A.D., the external area was reused for dumping discarded material resulting from repairs to the building following the earthquake of 62 A.D.

The work undertaken in the garden of the House of Marcus Fabius Rufo aimed to complete the excavation and documentation of the imposing drainage system uncovered during previous seasons. A large structure in _opus incertum_ was identified, made up of four cisterns for the collection and disposal of wastewater from this side of the town.

The latest excavation campaign undertaken in the garden of the house of Marcus Fabius Rufo, continued the investigation of the occupation phases in the outskirts of Pompeii, prior to the private occupation of this area by the owner of this luxurious residence. The research revealed the presence of a substantial difference in level in the tufa bedrock on which the town was built, furrowed by a series of channels cut into the ground, running parallel to the town walls in this stretch. The cuts were filled with dumps of Hellenistic material, with a significant nucleus of votive artefacts, evidence for the presence of a sacred structure in the area.

The House of Marcus Fabius Rufo is one of the most outstanding examples in Pompeii’s architectural panorama. The garden, covering 1.581 m2, is situated west of the house, up against the town wall built in Sarno limestone _opus quadratum_. Prior to the excavation, geo-electric and geo-magnetic surveys were carried out by the Department of Earth Sciences at the “Federico II” University of Naples. During the course of the seven excavation campaigns undertaken to date, 13 trenches (5 x 5 m) have been opened in the garden area. This work has shed new light on the use of the outside area of the largest house in Pompeii, contributing to the picture of urbanisation and exploitation of the _suburbium_ in the period between the 3rd century B.C. and the eruption in 79 A.D. In recent years, the excavation has aroused considerable interest due to the presence of a Hellenistic sanctuary, of which outstanding architectural elements and ceramic furnishings have been found, all datable to between the 3rd and 1st centuries B.C. During the last season, investigation continued of the construction phases and phases of use of a series of cisterns, of which five _opus_ _signinum_ tanks remain, preserved in the SG 3A-D-F-G-H, datable to the 1st century B.C. The discovery of this system for water capture relating to a row of houses in the II Pompeian style along the town wall, appears to be a new feature and fundamental for an overall reinterpretation of Pompeian town planning in the period following the foundation of the new _Colonia_ _Cornelia_ _Pompeianorum_ . The cisterns were razed during the Julio-Claudian period when a new tufa portico was built. Subsequently, during the final occupation phase, between 62 and 79 A.D., the external area was reused as a garden for dumping the materials produced by the restoration work on the house following the earthquake in 62 A.D.