Since the early years following the foundation of the Spartan colony of Taranto (706 BC), a widespread occupation of the territory surrounding the city can be observed, traditionally defined as CHORA, to the detriment of the indigenous populations, the Iapygians. During the period of maximum expansion, the Greek chora included the territories of the present-day municipalities of Palagiano, Massafra, Crispiano, Statte, Carosino, San Giorgio Ionico, Montemesola, Faggiano, Grottaglie, Pulsano, Lizzano, Leporano, and Fragagnano. The archaeological evidence of the occupation of the chora consists mainly of necropolises or small villages scattered around larger settlements. In the locality of Luogovivo, several fragments of terracotta statuettes have been found, especially the bearded reclining figure, one of the most common subjects in the production of votive terracottas from Taranto.
Many necropolises have been discovered in the territory of Pulsano: in the locality of Spartifeudo, 14 tombs have been explored. The grave goods found can be dated to the second half of the 4th century and the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The most commonly attested burial practice in the Greek era is inhumation. The deceased, laid in a supine position, were accompanied by grave goods reflecting their social status and gender. The tombs found in the Calapricello and Luogovivo districts have yielded rich funerary assemblages with Corinthian imported pottery, produced from 625 BC. These consist of repeating patterns with hunting and battle scenes, animal friezes, and floral motifs.
There are more attestations of classical-Hellenistic necropolises in Pulsano. From Masseria Calapricello come burial goods consisting of vases with red-figure and black-figure designs. From the locality of Foza to the west of Pulsano, a cremation burial has been found inside an oinochoe (wine jug) with red-figure decoration depicting two deceased individuals inside a small shrine.
In the 1950s, two tombs dating back to the Hellenistic period were discovered near Masseria Li Vazzi and in the districts of Scorcora and Molitilli. Dating back to 1982, the discovery of 5 pit tombs from the 4th-3rd century BC on Via Toma. In 1995, in the locality of Spartifeudo, 14 tombs with a counter-grave were explored, including 2 with a pseudo-sarcophagus.
During the 4th century BC, a new type of pottery spread. Commonly known as "Gnathian pottery", originally produced in Taranto and spread to various centers in southern and central Puglia, with high artistic value featuring decorated vases with vegetal motifs or genre scenes (mostly theatrical or sacred), used during symposia or in a funerary context.
The necropolis of Torre Castelluccia in Pulsano is located on the plateau north of the settlement, near the sixteenth-century tower. In the area, 4 inhumation tombs dating back to the 6th millennium BC have been discovered. The practice of cremation began to spread during the middle Bronze Age (17th - 14th century BC), along with the custom of collective burials in large chambers or hypogea - whether artificial or natural - dolmens or small grottoes, progressively abandoned in favor of cremation in urns.
An artificial grotto tomb, dating back to the late Bronze Age (17th - 12th century BC), was found on the western slope of the plateau near the tower. It consisted of an elliptical-shaped cell and an access corridor, containing the remains of multiple individuals arranged in a huddled position, along with some grave goods. Starting from the end of the middle Bronze Age, the practice of cremation in "urn fields" emerged. The burnt human remains were placed inside cylindrical or conical-necked cinerary urns made of pottery, covered by inverted carinated bowls and often surrounded by a small circle of stones embedded in the ground for protection. The impressed and incised pottery, characterizing the burials, dates back to an early phase of the 6th millennium BC.
