26 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Sacred Area from the Copper Age and 5000-years-old A Stele Decorated Discovered in Italy

The remains of a sacred area that dates back at least four thousand years have been discovered during excavations for the new gymnasium at the primary school in Berbenno di Valtellina in the northern Lombardy region of Italy.

The excavations for constructing the gymnasium of the primary school, carried out with PNNR funds, brought to light several archaeological structures, including a lithic cist tomb (i.e. a chest made of stone slabs, arranged in a cut-out pattern). The burial, which contained the remains of at least two individuals, was surrounded by a circle of stones and was likely covered by a mound.

Although the exact dating of this tomb is unknown, it may be from the end of the Copper Age or the start of the Bronze Age, some four thousand years ago.

In northern Italy, the Bronze Age spanned approximately 2300/1150 cal BC, during which prehistoric communities underwent a gradual yet significant transformation. Funerary evidence and sacred or ritual sites, where adornment objects played a different but significant role, are the main sources of information about this period.

Overview of the Copper Age sanctuary discovered in the northern Lombardy region of Italy. Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese
Overview of the Copper Age sanctuary discovered in the northern Lombardy region of Italy. Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese

This is an exceptional find, the first of its kind in Valtellina, and made all the more remarkable by the fact that one of the walls of the tomb was constructed using an ornate stele from 5,000 years ago, similar to those found in the Teglio area and currently on display in Palazzo Besta.

This stele greatly extends the distribution area of these artifacts, which until now had never been found west of Chiuro.  The stele, which by the nature of the engraved objects is male, and may have originally been part of an alignment, located in a sort of prehistoric sanctuary.

“It can certainly be said that what is emerging from the excavations represents one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made in Valtellina”, says Stefano Rossi, Inspectorate archaeologist official.

The stele is found as part of the walls of the tomb. Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese
The stele is found as part of the walls of the tomb. Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese

“Several artifacts recovered since the nineteenth century had already indicated that human presence in Berbenno dated back at least to the Bronze Age, but these new findings move the frequentation of the area back at least a thousand years. In particular, the stele statue constitutes the most western testimony of this important cultural phenomenon, dating back to over five thousand years ago.”

The excavation operations were carried out with the archaeological assistance of the specialized archaeological company Sap, which allowed these important structures to be recognized.

Since archeological research is still being done, more details may soon be added to the already intriguing picture that has so far come to light. As things stand, it appears feasible to assume that the remains could be removed for enhancement somewhere once the excavations are finished, enabling the project to move forward.

Soprintendenza Archeologia

Cover Image: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese

Related Articles

The World’s Largest Pyramid Is Hidden Within a Hill in Mexico

8 October 2022

8 October 2022

The largest and tallest pyramids in the world are incredible feats of design, engineering, and construction. The Great Pyramid of...

Over 1,600-yr-old tomb of embracing lovers found in north China

16 August 2021

16 August 2021

Archaeologists recently published a study of the tomb of cuddling lovers, dating to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), more than...

Storms uncover precious marble cargo from a 1,800-year-old Mediterranean shipwreck in Israel

15 May 2023

15 May 2023

Numerous rare marble artifacts have been found at the site of a 1,800-year-old shipwreck in shallow waters just 200 meters...

Archaeologists Discovered Medieval Silver Communion Set and 70 Silver Coins in Hungary

16 June 2024

16 June 2024

A 14th-century silver communion set (chalice and wafer holder) and a treasure trove of 70 silver coins were discovered in...

During roadwork in Oregon, a woolly mammoth tusk was discovered

21 June 2021

21 June 2021

A 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tusk was discovered beneath the street by crews rerouting a gas line in Corvallis, Oregon. “Whenever...

World’s Smallest Stegosaurus Track Found

14 March 2021

14 March 2021

The smallest trace of stegosaurus in the world that lived 155 million years ago was found. Stegosaurus, a herbivorous dinosaur,...

A 3300-Year-Old Canaanite Shipwreck Ever Discovered with All Its Cargo off Israel’s Coast

21 June 2024

21 June 2024

An Energean natural gas surveying vessel operating about 90 kilometers (56 miles) off the coast of Israel discovered a ship...

An extraordinary votive treasure was unearthed in the ancient Roman bath sanctuary of San Casciano Dei Bagni in Italy

7 August 2022

7 August 2022

In San Casciano Dei Bagni, a Tuscan hill town famous for its hot springs, 40 miles southeast of Siena, unique...

Mystery ax discovered off the coast of Arendal of Norway

26 July 2021

26 July 2021

Researchers have discovered a find that could be a first for Norwegian archeology. A hollow ax, which researchers believe dates...

Burial site for Enigmatic Anglo-Saxon King Cerdic found, author claims

3 May 2024

3 May 2024

The possible final resting place of Cerdic, the enigmatic founder of the Kingdom of Wessex and a key figure in...

‘Miniature Pompeii’ found beneath Astra cinema in Verona

15 June 2021

15 June 2021

Archaeologists have uncovered a “miniature Pompeii” in the shape of a well-preserved ancient edifice near Verona, Italy. An old Roman...

A Unique Structure Discovered in the City of David Ancient Jerusalem – The Only One of Its Kind

14 January 2025

14 January 2025

A unique structure was discovered on the eastern slope of the City of David, within the Walls of the Jerusalem...

10,000-year-old Sculptures and Figurines holding Phallus of the Taş Tepeler in the southeast Turkey

17 June 2022

17 June 2022

One of the common features of male depictions with similar features found in the region called Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills),...

5000-year-old female figurines found in a Ukrainian cave

15 May 2023

15 May 2023

Archaeologists discovered five clay female figurines hidden inside a hole in a wall in Verteba Cave, in the Borshchiv Region...

New ancient ape from Türkiye challenges the story of human origins

2 September 2023

2 September 2023

A recently discovered fossilized ape from a site in Turkey that is 8.7 million years old is inspiring scientists to...