These excavations were undertaken due to the robbing of Etruscan burials in the area, the results of which were seen during the first inspection of the zone. Work concentrated on a chamber tomb (n. 1), cut into the natural tufa rock preceded by a deep _dromos_. Grave robbers had only dug into in the area of the chamber entrance. The antique fill contained fragments of black gloss, depurated and coarse plain ware, banded painted pottery, as well as a bronze mirror handle decorated at the top with three palm leaves on an Ionic capital and at the bottom with a deer head. The lower door slab was lying flat in front of the entrance. The chamber had an irregular plan with a central passage, flanked on the right by a deep niche with two sarcophagi and on the left by a bench, followed by a second niche with sarcophagus and space for another deposition. There was a narrow bench up against the curved back wall. The lids of the right-hand sarcophagi (nos. 1, 2) had been removed from their original position (one of the simple ridge type and one with _columen_ and volutes on the short sides). They contained fragments of bronze wire and the skeletal remains. The coffin of the left-hand sarcophagus (n. 3) was damaged and the lid (simple ridge type) lay overturned to one side. The disturbed earth produced fragments of black gloss and depurated plain pottery and bronze vessels. A small plate of plain ware pottery, an iron strigil, and an intact black gloss bowl were found close to sarcophagus 3. Below the upside down lid of sarcophagus 2 lay a black gloss cup with everted rim and a plain ware _alabastron_, both intact, an iron strigil fragment, as well as a bronze mirror with the shank and disc fused as one piece. When cleaned, it was seen to be decorated with an incised scene showing a deer suckling the baby Telephus in the presence of five divinities, two male and three female, standing in front of a temple on whose pediment was a reclining male figure.

Three rock-cut tombs were excavated, two of the chamber type (nos. 2, 4) and one that was probably a single loculus (n. 3) aligned with tomb 1, which was also restored during this campaign. Tomb 2 was a small sub-circular chamber, almost completely occupied by a U-shaped bench, divided into loculi and shelves in a way that was not completely clear due to the damage caused by grave robbers and water infiltration. It was entered via a _dromos_, at the end of which the lower part of the door was still _in situ_. A small number of finds were recovered: fragments of black gloss and plain ware vases, tiles and a stone _cippus_. Tomb 3 was a sort of low “grotticella”, its vault largely collapsed, preceded by a short _dromos_. It was probably built to house a single deposition. The tomb had been robbed and only produced a few fragments of coarse pottery. Tomb 4 was a chamber with an irregular rectangular plan, internal passage and U-shaped bench on the rear section of which was a vertical stone slab. A similar slab was present in an inclined position on the right-hand bench. The _dromos_ was only damaged by the grave robbers’ activities in the area in front of the chamber. They had been prevented from going any further by the hardness of the concretionary fill within the chamber itself. The excavation of the _dromos_ recovered numerous fragments of black gloss and plain ware pottery, a stone _cippus_, tile fragments and one fragment from a painted banded ware jar and a complete coarse ware lid. The tomb group was found almost entirely on the right-hand bench and consisted of about 15 black gloss vessels (_paterae_, plates, small stamped plates, in one case with graffiti, two _oinochoai_, a small jar), plain ware (small jar, _balsamarium_ ), painted banded ware (small jar, small plate), Gnathian style painted ware (small multiple “salt cellar” type vessel). One of the small lids belonging to the latter was found on the left bench. A nail and fragments of bronze wire were the only metal finds.

Investigations continued at the necropolis of Pian delle Rusciare with the excavation of the rock cut funerary structures (nos. 5, 6, 7, 8). Tomb 5 was a chamber with _dromos_ and lateral cuniculus. It was visible from above the ground due to its collapsed vault, which led to its being disturbed by grave robbers. The chamber had a quadrangular plan, with a short passage continuing the _dromos_. The entrance to a cuniculus opened in the left wall. Three nenfro stone sarcophagi were placed on the right side, at the back and in the centre of the chamber. The lids, (one simple ridge type and two with _columen_ in relief) had been smashed by the grave robbers but were recovered from the fill and placed elsewhere. Three small plain ware plates, the fragments of a black gloss bowl and a bronze handle were found between the sarcophagi. Still in place at the end of the _dromos_, was the lower part of the door, whose upper parts were recovered in secondary deposition inside the chamber fill. Tombs 7 and 8 were graves situated uphill from tomb 5, and only the tile covering and a few plain ware elements from the tomb group were recovered from them. Tomb 6, situated a short distance to the south-west of tomb 3, was difficult to interpret. It consisted of a sort of niche created at the base of a vertical cut in the tufa bedrock, without _dromos_. It could perhaps be interpreted as an unfinished tomb.

Work was undertaken in three separate areas of the site. The investigation of the area uphill from tomb 5 was completed with the excavation of a chamber tomb with _dromos_ and bench (no. 9) and two graves (nos. 10, 11), all cut into the tufa and almost completely robbed. The vault of tomb 9 had collapsed but the boulders closing its entrance were still in place. A number of tile fragments that had covered the body were recovered from tomb 11. Also at Pian della Rusciare, by the edge of the Fosso Caprino, a drainage cuniculus was uncovered (Structure A), identified by the collapse of a section of its vault. Its outlet in the side of the Fosso Caprino was discovered by following its line on the surface. For safety reasons it was not possible to excavate inside the cuniculus. Excavations began in the Pratino area, where the activity of tomb robbers was clearly visible in the woods. Four chamber tombs were excavated (nos. 12, 13, 14, 15), all rock-cut and with _dromos_. The chamber of tomb 12 was sub-oval in plan, with an internal passage between two deposition benches. A miniature cup, and the mouth and neck of a fusiform black gloss _balsamarium_ were found in secondary deposition. Tombs 13 and 14, situated on either side of tomb 12, housed single burials, with a passage flanked by the deposition bench. The upper part of the tombs were damaged by the illegal excavations but the lower levels of the passages were intact and produced a black gloss beaker and a small coarse ware jar (tomb 13), a black gloss bowl and a small coarse ware jar (tomb 14). Tomb 15 was a small irregular chamber with _dromos_ that was only partially investigated due to the presence of a tree, from which tile fragments were recovered.

This season’s excavations examined a large rock-cut chamber tomb (no. 20), situated in the Pratino II area, a short distance to the north-west of the first nucleus of the necropolis that was investigated (Pratino I). The chamber’s vault had collapsed in antiquity, thus preserving it from being disturbed, with the exception of its northern part, which remained in position and visible for a longer period. The chamber was oval in plan with a central passage and a bench on each long side, divided into rows of loculi (19 plus a niche for a cremation in the west bench, 18 in the east bench). The chamber was entered at centre of the short south side where the door was still in place. Fourteen loculi were covered by two or three horizontal tiles, with elements of the tomb group placed on top of them. Some of the other loculi, without any type of covering, were all filled with grave goods. Only the lower limbs of two individuals and several teeth were found in various loculi, the position indicating that the deceased were placed with their head towards the passage. Over 430 finds were recovered, mainly table wares and banqueting/symposium vessels in plain ware and black and red gloss pottery (_lagynoi_, jugs, jars, small jars, amphorae, bowls, plates, handled cups) and by several bronze vessels (two _askoi_, a frying pan, small jars, jugs, bowls, basins). The assemblage also included personal items such as numerous fusiform ceramic _balsamaria_ of varying sizes and several mirrors, some with incised decoration. Personal ornaments included bronze armlets and a bronze ring with a small glass setting. The iron finds comprised a dozen strigils and three lances. The assemblage was completed by numerous lamps, a bronze coin, an appliqué showing the torso of a bearded man and the neck of a blown glass vessel.

The excavations concentrated on two areas of the Pratino II necropolis. The _dromos_ of tomb 20, the nearby tomb 21 and two tombs (nos. 22, 23) south-west of the latter. All were rock-cut chamber tombs with _dromos_. At the end of the season, roofs were put over tombs 21 and 23. The short and steep _dromos_ of tomb 20 presented two loculi, one above the other, in the western shoulder and in the opposite one. The upper one on the west side contained two small jars and a beaker in plain ware pottery, while the lower one was empty. A small jar, a _lagynos_ and a fragmented plain ware vase were found in the loculus on the eastern side. Tomb 21 was a chamber with passage between two benches divided into thirteen loculi and a niche for a cremation. The chamber was intact but damaged at the centre by modern digging to bury a bovine carcass. The tomb groups in the loculi were intact with an uneven distribution of the materials, a total of 65 elements. The assemblage comprised black gloss and plain ware banqueting and symposium vessels and _balsamaria_, a mirror with incised decoration, a _thymiaterion_ cup, coins, several bronze vessels and an iron strigil. Skeletal remains were recovered from the depositions. Tomb 22 was a chamber with a single bench divided into ten loculi, with another in the left wall and one in the shoulder of the _dromos_. It had been badly robbed and only a few fragments of black gloss and plain ware pottery and a bronze nail were recovered. A tree prevented the excavation of the _dromos_ of tomb 23. The chamber was quadrangular in plan, with a U shaped bench. Despite robbing, numerous fragmentary finds were recovered including three stone _cippi_, black gloss and plain ware pottery, a large jar and miniature _kyathos_ and jar.

Excavations took place in three zones of the areas Pratino I and II, where four funerary structures were investigated (nos. 37, 41, 42, 43). These rock-cut chamber tombs with _dromos_ had benches divided into loculi, separated by a passage. The upper levels of tomb 37 had been disturbed and these layers produced a small stone column _cippus_ and plain ware and black gloss vases. Some parts of the tomb were intact and presented elements of the tomb group in primary deposition: a bronze mirror with incised decoration from the left bench and a group of black gloss vases (single handled small jar and _kantheros_ ) and plain ware vessels (three small jars) to the rear of the passage. Two loculi were found intact in the shoulders of the _dromos_. The left hand one contained a bronze coin, a small red gloss single handled jar, three small plain ware jars and a black gloss _balsamarium_. The right hand locululus contained a small amphora and two small plain ware jars, a black gloss _balsamarium_ with painted bands, a bowl and two miniature black gloss _olpai_. Tomb 41 had two chambers, both disturbed. The first, on the same axis as the _dromos_ was not investigated due to the risk of collapse. Painted and plain ware pottery fragments were found by its entrance. A bronze lamina, parts of pottery _balsamaria_ and human bones were found in the second chamber, at a right angle to the _dromos_. Tomb 42 was a large chamber of which only the surface levels of disturbed earth were investigated. Numerous black gloss, painted and plain ware pottery fragments were recovered, together with fragments of bronze mirrors, iron strigils and human bone. The vault of tomb 43 had collapsed. Elements from the tomb group were only found _in situ_ in the first loculus on the left (five small plain ware jars), while the rest of the pottery, stone (two column _cippi_ ) and metal (a bronze coin) finds were in secondary deposition. The _dromos_ was intact and the loculus in the left shoulder was also intact and contained two small black gloss cups and a black gloss _ krateriskos_, a small plain ware jar, an iron strigil and human bones.