Following the course of the San Pasquale river, the road cuts a Roman site, already known to scholars, in two. Here, in the Panaghia locality, there has always been a semi-circular building, held to be a Byzantine church, since the place name indicated the existence of a place of worship dedicated to the All Holy Virgin Mary. Recent excavations, on the north side of the road, have established that a particularly large residential complex, dating from between the third and fourth centuries AD, once stood here. Along the edge of the road, warehouses, containing dolia [earthenware jars], as well as various premises, have been brought to light. Some of these were apsidal in form and probably mosaicked, given the abundance of tesserae found in the vicinity. Interesting finds came to light also at the site of the Panagia church, whose outer walls were obtained from those of an apsidal niche belonging to a large hall dating back to Late Antiquity. Of the finds that stand out, besides the wine amphorae, are glass fragments with droplet embellishments and Navigius ceramics with their typical moulded decorations. This kind of pottery, along with that of other associated workshops, was produced in central Tunisia, probably in the Henchir and Srira region, between 290 and 320 AD. This unique type of moulded pottery is recognisable thanks to the particular style it employed to portray humans, the hunt, shows and mythological scenes. These artefacts were produced for the local market and only very rarely have traces of them been found in Italy and Cyrenaica. The specimens discovered in the Italian peninsula appear to have come from Tunisia. The decorative elements are mostly anthropomorphic and consist of caricatured figures with North African features. The female heads, whether young or old, wear grotesque expressions. Similarly, the male heads, bearded and unbearded, have similar ethnic features, and are depicted with thick curly hair, lascivious and satirical expressions, and, sometimes, inordinately large mouths and noses. On the other hand, the satirical faces have short beards, bushy eyebrows, straight flowing hair, often held back by a ribbon, the mouth set in a mocking smile, with teeth partly visible. The vessels are shaped like Lagoena bottles, cylindrical flasks, or jugs.

Text by Pasquale Faenza.