Archaeological investigations undertaken at Calatia aimed towards defining the layout of the ancient town and creating an archaeological park.

Trenches were dug in the centre of the town, within a strip that included the via Appia and the insulae closest to it. A road on an east-west alignment was identified to the south of the via Appia and running parallel to it. Part of the ancient road was uncovered in an area free of modern constructions. Finally, to the north, an investigation was undertaken of the space occupied by a monumental portico, part of the forum or adjacent architectural complex.

The layout of the road network created a regular plan with horizontal strips circa 70 m wide, divided into quadrangular insulae. The town plan was orientated towards the north, with a slight deviation to the west. The road levels investigated so far relate to the last structured occupation of the town and date to the 4th-5th century A.D. The stratification along the Appia was more complex, where larger deposits accumulated due to the ancient road’s long period of use, which continued beyond the chronological limits of Calatia.

A final intervention looked at the area south of the Appia where there appeared to be an anomaly on the plateau occupied by the town. A structure in tufa blocks faced with opus reticulatum was uncovered which showed the signs of numerous rebuilds which had partially altered the monument’s original appearance. The structure was on a north-west/south-east alignment and as such represents an anomaly when compared to the general layout of the urban plan known to date. Large quantities of material were recovered during the cleaning of the overlying accumulation and this was of great interest both for the reconstruction of Calatia’s chronological excursus, and for the study of the classes and pottery forms in use. Also present were architectural elements and terracotta ex-voto which provide useful evidence for the buildings use.