In 2014, the excavations continued the research of the preceding years with the aim of clarifying the extension to the north of the Roman villa’s pars rustica, in particular the large production sector. The latter included two kilns of the type with a central corridor that were used towards the end of the 1st century B.C. for producing brick/tile, amphora, dolia and other large-middle sized ceramics. The new trench was opened two metres to the north of the area where the kilns were excavated.

The archaeological evidence showed that in the period of Theodoric, this sector situated north of the residential structures of Theodoric’s complex, was probably a garden or wooded area. Sections of wall, built of stone and clay mortar, and rubble layers probably relating to phase two of the productive structures of the Roman villa (early 5th century A.D.) are what remain following the robbing of earlier structures during the construction of the Gothic king’s residence at the beginning of the 6th century A.D. Underlying layers, characterised by the presence of pottery fragments, vitrified clay and reddened earth, attest the vicinity of the kilns and occupation of the villa’s pars fructaria between the end of the Republic and the mid 3rd century when the storerooms and wine cellars were abandoned. The entire sector was restructured with new functions at the beginning of the 5th century.

However, the most important discovery of the 2014 campaign regards the site’s earliest occupation phases. In addition to numerous pottery fragments datable to the 2nd century B.C., the levels below those of the production sector of the Roman villa produced a Republican bronze Aes, the obverse showing the head of Janus, attributable to the same period. In addition, a wall on a north-south alignment was identified of which a short section was visible as it continued beyond the trench edge. The foundations and first course of the footing were preserved, formed by a row of large horizontal tiles and filled with brick/tile fragments and clay mortar. The wall was part of a building, probably dating to the 2nd century B.C. The excavations have thus demonstrated the presence of a permanent settlement datable to the first phase of Romanisation in the valley, in a period preceding the constitution of the municipium of Mevaniola.