5Nel regno del fango presents the preliminary results of the archaeological excavations recently carried out in the Grotta di Polla, in the province of Salerno, in the Vallo di Diano area. Speleoarchaeological researches in recent years have revealed the considerable difficulty of operating methodologically in an environment, such as that of a cave which, in addition to being often characterized by the limitations caused by the darkness and tightness of the environments, has in this case led to the presence of a considerable amount of mud which made researches even more complex. The methodologies adopted for the preservation and conservation of archaeological materials and the results obtained are therefore illustrated. From an interpretative point of view, the cave is configured as an area that has been exploited with a certain continuity from the Neolithic to the whole Bronze Age with the specific function of a burial area.