In September 2012, excavations carried out by the Università del Salento reopened on the sanctuary complex of Monte San Nicola.

The excavations (19th September – 23rd November) opened a new area (Trench E) in correspondence with the eastern sector of the cavea, between the ninth tier of the media cavea (the last uncovered in the 2007-2008 campaign) and the present ground level, above the original floor level of the orchestra, with a difference in height (north-south) of c. 1.80 m. The excavations identified the point of passage between the media and ima cavea, and partially uncovered the tiers in the latter.

The initial investigations also checked the stratigraphic sequence of the cavea, clarifying the dimensions and composition of the various layers. Of note layer US 23 which contained a high concentration of limestone chips, pottery fragments (generally cooking wares, but also black glaze cups and very occasional sigillata italic), parts of lamps, tegulae, imbrices, as well as a substantial quantity of architectural fragments from the temple decoration (terracotta syme decorated in relief with palmettes and lion’s head spouts), small blocks of grey tufa and fragments of white and red plaster.

After the opening of trench E, the excavations concentrated on the area of the media cavea and in particular, starting from the north at the height of the ninth tier. The excavation went down at least 1.20 m from the initial ground level, uncovering two more tiers of the media _ cavea_, with the related lateral and central steps (_klimakes_).
Lying underneath these tiers was another wall, slightly higher than the preceding ones, that seemed to delimit a transverse passageway, a sort of diàzoma dividing the lowest tiers of the ima from those of the media cavea and was accessed from the orchestra via a short stretch of the central stairway, while the lateral stairways stopped precisely in correspondence with this passage.

The final phases of the 2012 season involved experimental interventions to restore the cavea tiers. The interventions are reversible, aimed at this stage to test the actual efficiency in terms of protection and resistance of the adopted solutions and ability to preserve the tiers from the incessant action of atmospheric agents, in particular rainwater runoff and the seasonal cycle of freezing and unfreezing.