The investigations undertaken in 2010 as part of the ‘Progetto Egnazia: dallo scavo alla valorizzazione’ demonstrated that the positioning of the baths on the via Traiana, at the edge of what was probably the forum area, dates to the 3rd century A.D. Their construction obliterated an earlier building probably of early imperial date, parts of which, such as a large cistern, have been investigated. On the opposite side with respect to the road, the complex joins to a nucleus of rooms rebuilt in the 3rd century and symmetrically arranged around a central, Doric peristyle. This building, connected to the balineum structures, was not used for bathing activities. For the moment, it seems rather to have been used for commercial activities, judging from its layout, position with respect to the adjacent forum area and from the pottery found in the occupation layers, among which imported vessels, both for transport and table-wares, were clearly predominant over course wares.
The reorganisation of the entire section, occurring in the 5th century and caused by the construction of a vast installation for the production of building materials, was further documented by the identification of the spaces connected with the activity of the previously investigated lime kilns, built following the icnographical layout adopted in the entire area. Each space seemed to have a specific function in the production line; in particular, water supply, cutting of blocks to be put in the lime kiln, the working of the clay probably used to insulate the kilns before the beginning of a new firing cycle. On the southern edge of the workshop complex there was evidence for a commercial activity involving the grinding up of both pottery and brick/tile fragments and shells, in other spaces in the workshop, to be used in the preparation of opus signinum.

In the area of the so-called ‘acropolis’, the enlargement of the excavation outside the temple brought to light further evidence regarding the building of imperial date, built on a podium and entered via a staircase with foreparts on its front. In fact, the aedes resulted as being inserted into a large porticoed enclosure, characterised by two quadrangular niches in correspondence with the temple’s long sides. This follows the model consolidated in the imperial period with the first attestations in Rome dating to the Flavian period, and then spreading in Italy and the provinces.

Beginning in the second half of the 4th century, this complex – like the baths and the porticoed piazza south of the ‘acropolis’ – saw a radical change in function, with the construction of rooms occupying the portico spaces which were used as storage facilities for the nearby port. Trade was flanked by production activities, in this case once again linked to lime making. The large kiln used for this purpose was partially excavated (maximum measurement 5 m) and still preserved its last load. This included material dating its abandonment to between the end of the 4th-beginning of the 5th century.

In the western area of the portico the excavation revealed, for the first time, the organisation of the medieval settlement connected with the fortification of the ‘acropolis’. This had only been partially documented previously during the first excavations in this area undertaken in the 1960s. In the inner space of the porticoed enclosure the rooms in this period overlay those of late antique date, using stone foundations bonded with a large amount of earth and walls made of unbaked clay and timber.

The finds consisted mainly of glazed and banded painted pottery and lamps with ogival mouth – as seen during previous campaigns – which, together with the mainly Byzantine coin finds, date the final occupation of the area to the 11th century.