In autumn 2008 a scatter of prehistoric material was found on the south slope of Monte Tutoglio, immediately west of the dam on the Sangro reservoir, in the territory of Pennadomo (CH).

A first excavation campaign was undertaken between the 23-29th September 2009 with the aim of testing the site’s archaeological potential. It was decided to dig a trial trench in the practicable area situated furthest up hill from the scatter, which seemed to be the area most likely to coincide with or be very close to the original archaeological deposit in accordance with the obvious presumption that the archaeological material had moved down hill. Therefore, in the first small opening on the steep southern slope a trench 3 × 1 m was marked out and a series of very thin layers, circa 3 cm thick, were removed. The soil was dark grey, moderately rich in organic material, but also with a percentage of clay. Therefore this was not simple humus, but a mixture of humus and soil of anthropological origin. The first three cuts produced various finds (pottery, flaked flint and bone), some of which badly worn, whilst in the subsequent cuts the finds, although fragmentary were in a good state of preservation. This showed that although in secondary deposition they had not undergone much drifting. Cut 05 revealed slightly larger fragments, and from cut 07 there was a higher density of material in the north eastern part of the trench. Cuts 07 and 08 produced numerous small to medium stones (smaller and larger than 10 cm) and subsequent cuts produced larger stones. Cut 011 revealed an intact disk-shaped spindle whorl and a fragment of a similar artifact came out of cut 012. A first analysis of the materials showed that they belong to three cultural horizons:

1) An Eneolithic phase characterized by the presence of “scaled” pottery and Campignana lithic industry, an association already documented in the Sangro valley at the site of Colle Buono (Roccascalegna), where it is dated to the end of the third millennium B.C.;
2)”Apennine” facies (Middle Bronze Age 2, circa 1500-1359 B.C.), characterised by carenated forms and incised decoration;
3) “Sub-Apennine” facies (Recent Bronze Age, circa 1350-1150 B.C.), characterised among other things by offset and modelled rims and handles with elaborate modelled appendages.

As the finds from the different facies were mixed together in the single layers, it was confirmed that the excavated area was the result of movement and an accumulation of materials in secondary deposition. Given the sites configuration, it was clear that the original deposit or deposits, must have been further up hill. The displacement from the original position could have occurred in the prehistoric period, but the presence on the hill summit of a medieval settlement, abandoned towards the middle of the 14th century, must also be held in consideration.