Archaeologists in southern Italy have uncovered a large section of ancient fortifications and Roman sling bullets in Ugento, providing new insights into a violent chapter in the Second Punic War. The discovery includes more than 450 Roman sling bullets and fortified city walls, indicating a fierce Roman siege of the city over 2,200 years ago.
Ugento, once allied with the Carthaginian general Hannibal, became a battleground during Rome’s push to reclaim control of southern Italy.
Dig led by the Italian Heritage Institute
The excavation ran from April 7 to June 6, 2025, in the Cupa district of Ugento. Dr. Giuseppe Scardozzi of the Institute of Heritage Science directed the work in partnership with the Ugento City Council.
The campaign is part of the national CHANGES research program and included students from the University of Bari’s PASAP Med doctoral track. The firm Servizi per l’Archeologia supported field tasks.
Long walls and war gear come to light
Researchers unearthed more than 170 meters of city walls and a cache of Roman arms. They cataloged over 450 lead sling bullets and several iron arrowheads. A corner tower, still standing 1.8 meters high, emerged between Via S. Francesco and Via Bolzano. Another 70-meter stretch of wall appeared farther north near Via Giannuzzi.
Two building phases traced in stone
The team identified two construction stages. The first stage, from the mid-4th century BCE, featured a 4.6-meter-thick wall constructed of dry-laid stone with an earth-and-lime core. The second stage, in the early 3rd century BCE, reinforced the barrier with larger blocks on both the interior and exterior, widening it to nearly 7 meters as Rome’s power grew.
Combat debris signals the 209 BCE siege
A layer of rubble near the tower held hundreds of sling bullets and nine iron bolts likely fired from Roman siege engines. Archaeologists link the assault to about 209 BCE, when Rome moved to reclaim southern cities that had sided with Hannibal.
Starting from the 2nd century BCE, workers dismantled the fallen walls. Tool marks on the surviving blocks indicate that the stone was quarried for new buildings, a pattern noted in earlier excavations across Ugento.
Ground scans guided trench placement
Before digging, the Institute’s Geophysics Laboratory in Lecce conducted ground-penetrating surveys in December 2024. Led by Dr. Giovanni Leucci, the scans pinpointed buried structures and helped target trench locations.
Ugento officials are considering plans to transform the site into an open-air museum and cultural landmark. As experts continue to analyze the artifacts, they hope the evidence will enhance understanding of the warfare that shaped the ancient Mediterranean.