A survey was undertaken to identify the archaeological evidence before the excavation began in 2001 in the locality of Le Socce at Monteroduni.
The chance find by the landowner of several burials determined the area to be excavated (trench 1, 6 × 6 m). This trench revealed a wall, with traces of plaster, on a NE-SW alignment belonging to a room of a Roman villa which is attested by the presence of 3rd century B.C. pottery and a tile stamp; a feature with an apse, probably a funerary monument and, outside the walls along the exedra, numerous “a cappuccino” and “a cassone” burials in a radial arrangement. At the edge of the trench’s east section the apse of a cult building was found which was situated within the villa.
A new trench (2) was opened in order to verify the extension of the walls belonging to the cult building which is on an E-W alignment. The new trench (4 × 4 m) revealed walls that were situated in its four corners, the centre being occupied by a round tank 90 cm in diameter, its bottom lined with a re-used tile. This was probably a baptismal font belonging to an ecclesia baptismalis.
Trench 3 (6 × 6 m), opened to the south of trench 2 brought to light a funerary area with three “ a cassone” burials. Only one was excavated: the tomb, with no covering, contained four individuals without any grave goods.
The excavation produced coins attributable to Roman mints of the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. A buckle of which only the oval ring, partly decorated with an intaglio pattern, and the tongue are conserved and a bronze belt decoration were also found.
The 2002 excavation brought to light a rural religious complex, that is an ecclesia baptismalis, hall of worship and baptistery and necropolis with “a cassone” and “a cappuccino” tombs, placed both inside and outside of a semicircular structure. The cult area and necropolis overlay a large Roman villa rustica, and re-uses its walls. The site dates to no later than the 7th-8th century A.D. (MiBAC)