6 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Highest Prehistoric Petroglyphs in Europe Discovered at 3000 Meters in the Italian Alps

The highest petroglyphs in Europe were found at Pizzo Tresero (Valfurva) in the Stelvio National Park in the northern Italian Alps, at over 3,000 meters.

The discovery of a series of petroglyphs over 3,000 meters high in the Valtellina Orobie mountain range in Lombardy has made them the highest petroglyphs found in Europe and provided new clues to human presence in mountainous areas since ancient times.

Tommaso Malinverno, a Como hiker, informed the Soprintendenza in the summer of 2017 that he had noticed odd carvings on a rock at the base of the Pizzo Tresero glacier. After receiving this report, scientists and archaeologists conducted thorough research and determined that the petroglyphs date to between 3,600 and 3,200 years ago (1600–1200 BCE), during the Middle Bronze Age.

Simultaneously, in November 2024, another paleontological find was reported in the Orobie Valtellinesi Park: the first trace of what scientists believe to be an entire prehistoric ecosystem, including the well-preserved footprints of reptiles and amphibians, brought to light by the melting of snow and ice induced by the climate crisis.

Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia

According to scientists, this discovery in the Valtellina Orobie mountain range in Lombardy dates back 280 million years to the Permian period, which is the time just before dinosaurs.

These rock carvings are significant not only because of their age but also because of their location—the alpine peaks are home to the highest petroglyphs in Europe.

Among the petroglyphs are human figures ‘resembling “praying figures” with arms raised towards the sky, a spiral carved into the rock, and depictions of animals and other geometric figures whose meaning has always remained a mystery (possibly resembling “topographical markings”).

Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia

The Tresero petroglyphs are evidence of the very long-standing presence of man in the mountain lands. The engravings are located above the Gavia Pass. They are closely linked to the rock sites in Valtellina and Valle Camonica, the first Italian site to obtain, in 1979, Unesco recognition as a World Heritage Site.

The 11 petroglyphs discovered in recent years, bearing traces of glacial passage, could be part of a much larger network of carvings, possibly a rock art sanctuary.

Prominent individuals, including Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy Region, Massimo Sertori, advisor to the local and mountain authorities, archaeology specialists, and representatives from the University of Bergamo, attended the official presentation of the findings at the Lombardy Palace.

Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
Some of the petroglyphs found at over 3000 meters in the Lombardy Alps. Image Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia

According to President Fontana, this discovery gives Lombardy’s natural and cultural heritage a special value that will pique the interest of both experts and tourists drawn to the area by its natural beauty and rich history.

Fontana emphasized the importance of these petroglyphs as a testament to human presence at these altitudes during the Bronze Age, adding a new chapter to the European history of mountain civilizations.

Regione Lombardia (Lombardy Region)

Cover Image Credit: Regione Lombardia (Lombardy Region)

Related Articles

Astonishing Find in the Czech Republic: Hikers Discover a 3.7 Kilogram Serbian/Bosnian Gold Treasure

29 April 2025

29 April 2025

A leisurely hike on the slopes of Zvičina Hill in the Czech Republic turned into an extraordinary discovery for two...

460-Year-Old Wooden Hunting Bow Found in Alaska’s Lake Clark

11 March 2022

11 March 2022

In late September 2021, National Park Service employees made an unlikely discovery in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in...

Remains of 14th-century Synagogue thought to be one of largest in region discovered in Poland

14 August 2023

14 August 2023

The remains of what is thought to be a sizeable 14th-century synagogue complex, including a mikvah, have been discovered during...

Ancient Roman city of Pompeii, archaeologists have unearthed a fresco depicting the Greek mythological siblings Phrixus and Helle

2 March 2024

2 March 2024

Archaeologists excavating a house adjacent to the House of Leda in Insula 6, Regio V, in the ancient Roman city...

2,000-year-old altar found in Alexandria Troas

9 October 2021

9 October 2021

A 2,000-year-old altar was unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Alexandria Troas, in a region close...

Network analysis of prehistoric relationships using raw archaeological finds and AI

24 July 2023

24 July 2023

A project of the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS uses archaeological raw material finds for network analyses from the Middle Stone...

1400-Year-Old Folding Chair Found in a Woman’s Grave in Germany

30 August 2022

30 August 2022

In Steinsfeld, in the German state of Ansbach, archaeologists have unearthed a 1,400-year-old folding chair from an early medieval woman’s...

Evidence of Necromancy during Roman era in the Te’omim Cave, Jerusalem Hills: Oil Lamps, Spearheads, and Skulls

14 July 2023

14 July 2023

Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills may once have served as a local oracle where people communed with the dead...

The International Congress of Hittitology will be held in Istanbul for the first time in its history

29 December 2021

29 December 2021

The International Congress of Hittitology, which has been held every three years since 1990, was postponed for one year due...

Excavations at the ‘Westminster Abbey of Wales’ Yielded a Few Surprises: a lost Aqueduct and a Buried Celtic Treasure

12 March 2024

12 March 2024

Archaeologists working in Wales revealed recently they may have discovered a Celtic monastery at the site of a 12th-century Cistercian...

The earliest human remains 11,000-year-old discovered in northern Britain

25 January 2023

25 January 2023

An international team of archaeologists at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has discovered 11,000-year-old human remains in the Heaning...

In southern Turkey, an ancient quake-damaged structure was discovered

9 November 2021

9 November 2021

In the ancient city of Perre in southeastern Turkey, a building damaged in an earthquake believed to have happened in...

Archaeologists Reveal First Settlement of Cimmerians in Anatolia

23 June 2023

23 June 2023

Continuing excavations in Türkiye’s central Kırıkkale province have revealed new findings indicating that Büklükale village was the first settlement of...

Dark secrets of Korea’s famous Wolseong palace complex are unearthed

8 September 2021

8 September 2021

The remains of an adult woman were discovered at the base of the Wolseong palace in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang province,...

Archaeologists have found an intriguing Iron Age “shrine” in the Yorkshire Wolds

19 September 2021

19 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered an interesting ancient Iron Age “shrine” in the Yorkshire Wolds, which was marked out by meticulously placed...