During the 2013 excavations of the complex of the Palace of Baldu, the kappa (κ) - almost entirely - and lambda (λ) rooms were excavated, together with three areas of the remaining rooms and an outside assay (fig. 1), to the East of the church of Santo Stefano.

Fig. 1 - Luogosanto, area of Santu Stevanu: site plan of Lu Palatzu di Baldu (Graphic reconstruction by C. Cocco).

These activities have allowed us to increase our understanding of the structures which gravitated around the palace: the two spaces, adjacent and arranged along the southern side of the complex, show similar characteristics to the other rooms.

It was possible to identify the lambda room (figs. 2-3), which had previously been considered an access to the pentagonal courtyard and therefore to the palace: the continuous wall sections were brought to light by removing the layers, therefore allowing a reversal of the first hypothesis.

The masonry technique appears to differ from that of the other spaces, as it is characterised by the presence of clay-bricks and mortar. The kappa room (figs. 2-4), has a rectangular shape with a veneered rubble core wall: this consists of two dividing walls, made of granite blocks, which enclose a central space filled with rubble. Two seats are placed against the long sides of the room. The floor level was made of smoothed mortar, while the roof consisted of various type of tiles. The room communicated with the iota space by means of an access.

Fig. 2 - Survey of the kappa and lambda rooms (Graphic reconstruction by C. Cocco).

Fig. 3 - The Palace of Baldu, rooms κ and λ, view from the south-west (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).

At the end of the excavation, the last activity carried out was that of restoring the walls, which were collapsing because of the cork oaks which surround the complex.

The seventeen rooms appear to have had different uses: kappa was hypothesised as a home.

Fig. 4 - The Palace of Baldu, room κ, seen from the West (photo by Unicity S.p.A.).