27 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

Spanish Stonehenge re-emerges from the ‘Valdecañas reservoir’

19 August 2022

19 August 2022

Submerged by the Valdecañas reservoir for decades, the Guadalperal dolmen has been fully exposed as it was two summers ago....

Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa, study suggests

29 March 2024

29 March 2024

60,000 to 70,000 years ago, our species Homo sapiens walked out of Africa and began to find new homes around...

A Gold Mourning Ring Found on The Isle of Man

21 April 2021

21 April 2021

The ring found with a metal detector on the Isle of Man in December 2020 will be exhibited in the...

A Unique 2000-Year-Old Oil Lamp Found in Israel

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a rare 2,000-year-old oil lamp in David, Jerusalem. Archaeologists have discovered a rare oil lamp, shaped like...

Remains of the summer palace of Genghis Khan’s grandson, Hulagu Khan, found in eastern Turkey

7 July 2022

7 July 2022

The archeology study team, consisting of Turkish and Mongolian scientists, found important findings in the study carried out to find...

Archaeologists Unearth Prehistoric Fishing Evidence on the Makran Coast of Iran

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

The Makran coast, a historically rich coastal stretch along the Sea of Oman, has once again drawn archaeological attention with...

Viennese Archaeologists Find LEGIO XIII GEMINA Bricks

1 February 2024

1 February 2024

The fourth oldest school in Vienna, the Kindermanngasse Elementary School, is being completely renovated. As part of the renovation of...

The ashes of 8,000 victims were found in two mass graves near the Soldau concentration camp in Poland

14 July 2022

14 July 2022

Polish authorities said they had unearthed two mass graves near the former Nazi concentration camp Soldau containing the ashes of...

The 890-million-year-old sponge fossil may be the oldest animal yet discovered

1 August 2021

1 August 2021

890-million-year-old fossil sponges found in the “Little Dal” limestones of northwest Canada may be the oldest animal ever found. According...

Archaeologists discovered a sunken prehistoric fort in Clew Bay island

1 April 2024

1 April 2024

A sunken prehistoric fort has been discovered on Clew Bay island off the north Mayo coast, Ireland. It has been...

9 Synagogues in Izmir to Reopen as Museum

26 March 2022

26 March 2022

As part of a Jewish heritage project in Izmir, Turkey, nine historic synagogues will be reopened as museums. Built by...

A ‘very rare’ clay figurine of god Mercury and a previously unknown Roman settlement were discovered at the excavation site in Kent

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

At a previously unknown Roman settlement that was formerly next to a busy port but is now 10 miles from...

Romanian Police Find the Stolen Viking Helmet

21 February 2021

21 February 2021

Romanian police specializing in heritage crimes recovered a medieval helmet of “Viking origin” on February 7, which had disappeared a...

Nearly 1,000-year-old Native American canoe recovered from Lake Waccamaw

18 April 2023

18 April 2023

A 1,000-year-old Waccamaw Indian dug canoe was retrieved from Lake Waccamaw near Wilmington, North Carolina after it was discovered by...

In the 1,900-year-old underground temple of Mithras religion in Zerzevan Castle, an area where participants of secret rituals stayed was unearthed

23 July 2024

23 July 2024

Excavations at the  Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır province in the southeastern part of Türkiye have uncovered an area where participants...