The results of systematic archaeological field survey conducted by the Institute of Classical Archaeology in the agricultural territory (chora) of Metaponto in southern Italy. Nearly six hundred sites, ranging in date from the prehistoric through the modern periods, were documented over the course of twenty years within an area of approximately forty square kilometers. The result is a sample representing a comprehensive cross-section of the territory's occupation over the course of more than six thousand years. This work presents compelling new documentation of the settlement patterns and daily life of Metaponto's ancient rural populations.