Ancient remains were uncovered on the site of Atella in the territory of Sant’Arpino (CE), during work undertaken for the installation of the domestic gas supply. The structures had already been badly damaged by the construction of modern housing and public buildings, relating to various phases of the town’s occupation. The most substantial structures were identified along the Aversa – Caivano provincial road, a modern road which cuts the ancient town in an east-west direction.

A calidarium came to light with its hypocaust and praefurnium. This was connected to the already known 2nd century A.D. bath complex situated on the edge of the forum of which the central-plan building of the aula, known locally as the “Castellone”, is visible. To the east, immediately below the road surface, a patch of opus signinum pavement survived with inserts of small white marble mosaic tesserae arranged in a geometric motif. The presence of classical Campana A pottery in the stratigraphy helped to date the structure to the 2nd century B.C. Furthermore, the earliest phases of the town were attested by the find of structures built of tufa blocks along its eastern limit.