During the surface survey undertaken on the Reggiana plain an area was identified in which a patch of ancient Roman ground surface was preserved. The site is situated north of Bagnolo in Piano, in the locality of S. Tommaso della Fossa. This was a rather exceptional find for this area of the Reggiano, as it is mostly under thick alluvial deposits. More specifically, the remains of two structures: a small rustic building and a large villa with a well preserved brick kiln were found.

A series of careful surface investigations were undertaken aimed at determining the site’s archaeological potential. This research revealed a well organized and functional complex which was in use from the Roman period until the final centuries of the Middle Ages. Excavations were undertaken on the site between 2006 and 2008 in order to better define the phases of this long diachronic occupation.

The data obtained so far has identified a Roman villa (1st-3rd century A.D.) of which a series of occupation levels, used for various activities, were investigated. Amongst these the most evident were areas that had been repeatedly exposed to heat for long periods. At present it is not possible to determine the function of such activity, as no waste products of any type were found. A preliminary analysis of the finds dates this use to between the 1st and 3rd century A.D. Subsequently, in the late antique period (4th-5th century) a small settlement developed in the ruins of the villa. This was attested by post holes in association with floor surfaces formed of small pieces of brick resting on a substantial loose foundation of reused bricks, built for drainage purposes. Worthy of note, at the southern edge of the settlement was a small well built of cobblestones and brick.

Also dating to this period was a cemetery with burials on an east-west alignment, placed at a short distance from each other. The remains of five individuals were identified, buried in earth graves. There was one “a cappuccino” tomb of which only the floor was preserved, as the upper part had been destroyed by ploughing. Several post holes cutting the burials date to a subsequent phase.

In the early part of the Middle Ages (6th-10th century) the area was abandoned, leaving the space to the forest and marshes, as attested by a number of clay layers which, in the sector excavated separated the late antique levels form the medieval ones. The composition of these layers indicates that the ground level was formed in the presence of meadows, subject to the phenomenon of slight seasonal of water-logging.
From the 12th century onwards signs of occupation reappeared. Firstly, the area was reclaimed via the creation of drainage channels. Subsequently wooden dwellings were constructed, resting on loose foundations of bricks and imbrices, used as a draining surface on which to build the structure itself.
The settlement was occupied until the beginning of the 14th century, when the area was abandoned.