In 2018, excavations took place in two areas of the northern peristyle, both continuing the 2017 investigations. The excavation continued of the peristyle’s drainage channel on an east-west alignment (US 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20) and of the parallel wall of the portico (rear wall of the portico. US 2). To the west of the square rooms situated north of the peristyle there was a cavaedium, interpreted as a space below stairs leading to an upper floor. Layers of under-floor fill were exposed containing brick/tile fragments and occasional fragments of black glaze pottery. On the south side of the peristyle, excavation of the terracing wall US 9 continued; built in opus incertum with large fragments of local limestone bonded with whitish earthy mortar. The earth grave of an infant (quadrants X 16 and M2) was found abutting the north side of this wall. On the eastern exterior side of the terrace wall (US 10), US 11 was removed and this revealed a limestone step providing access to the rooms on the upper terrace (US 29 and 30). To conclude, the 2018 excavations confirmed the nature of terrace wall US 9 and the presence above it of rooms linked to the upper south peristyle preserved at foundation level, with some low sections of wall, whose use will be clarified by the continuation of the excavations in 2019.

Cistern area

This season, the removal of the collapse (US 2) continued, inside the cistern’s perimeter, south of the bath complex. Exploration began outside the cistern on the south side in contact with the perimeter of the wall. The removal continued of the stratigraphy corresponding with US 2 (collapse) towards wall US 23 and layer US 1 in quadrant Y 11. Two fairly well-preserved “a cappuccina” burials and another burial probably disturbed by the plough were discovered outside the cistern to the south of wall US 14-15. The burials date to the 5th century A.D., when the cistern no longer functioned and the villa was gradually abandoned.