High-speed rail construction in Italy unearths Bronze Age village and Roman sanctuary

Construction of the high-speed railway line between Naples and Bari, a strategic infrastructure project costing over 6 billion euros, has led to significant archaeological discoveries. These finds were presented at the Napoli Afragola station. Mariano Di Maio, head of Authorizations, Environment and Territory for Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), stated that the excavations provided knowledge that would otherwise have been unattainable. Among the discoveries are a Copper Age village at Gaudello in the province of Caserta, a section of the ancient Appian Way basalt paving in Maddaloni, and a Hellenistic-Roman sanctuary rich in votive material at Ponte in the Benevento area. Additional finds include a Roman villa at Solopaca, numerous Campanian culture burials with rich grave goods, coins, terracotta objects, and bronze statuettes. These artifacts emerged during work on the Naples–Cancello, Cancello–Frasso, and Telese–Vitulano sections. The railway group Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane is committed to sustainable construction that preserves historical and artistic heritage. Future plans include extended archaeological excavations, virtual reconstructions, publications, conferences, and the opening of new museum facilities to house the finds.