Europe’s Highest Rock Engravings Discovered in Lombardy’s Mountains!
An extraordinary archaeological discovery in Lombardy’s Stelvio National Park has unveiled Europe’s highest-known rock engravings, located over 3,000 metres above sea level on the glacier-polished rocks of Pizzo Tresero. These petroglyphs, dating back to the Middle Bronze Age (3,600–3,200 years ago), offer remarkable insights into human activity in high-altitude mountain regions during prehistoric times.
Photo Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
A Chance Discovery Leads to Groundbreaking Research
The discovery began in the summer of 2017 when hiker Tommaso Malinverno, from Como, spotted unusual carvings on rocks beneath the Pizzo Tresero glacier. His report prompted the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio to launch a detailed investigation. These findings were formally unveiled in November 2024 at Lombardy Palace, with prominent attendees including Lombardy Region President Attilio Fontana, archaeologists, and researchers from institutions like the University of Bergamo.
The site near Gavia Pass complements Lombardy’s rich archaeological landscape. It joins notable rock art locations such as Val Camonica, Italy’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Valtellina region, home to the renowned Rupe Magna engravings in Grosio and the ancient stele statues of Teglio.
The petroglyphs exhibit diverse techniques and designs, suggesting they were created over an extended period by multiple individuals. Researchers speculate that Pizzo Tresero might have been a sanctuary akin to Monte Bego in the Maritime Alps, but situated at a much higher altitude.
Photo Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
Insights into Prehistoric High-Altitude Life
Stefano Rossi, an archaeologist with the Soprintendenza, highlighted the significance of the discovery, stating:
“The Tresero petroglyphs are an exceptional research opportunity. They raise crucial questions about the complex relationship between humans and mountains over millennia. High-altitude exploration is often associated with modern mountaineering, but these engravings demonstrate long-term human presence starting in prehistory.”
However, glacial activity over thousands of years has eroded many carvings, leaving striations across the rock surfaces and potentially erasing parts of a larger complex.
Photo Credit: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese / Regione Lombardia
Connecting the Past with the Present
This discovery adds to ongoing archaeological research in Lombardy. Since 2022, investigations in sites such as Malga dell’Alpe, Grotta Cameraccia, and Lago Nero have uncovered evidence of Mesolithic hunters traversing the Alps over 10,000 years ago. Additionally, the unearthing of a 280-million-year-old fossilised ecosystem in Orobie Valtellinesi Park underscores the region’s dual significance as a historical and natural archive.
Franco Claretti, Director of Stelvio National Park, aptly summarised the region’s importance:
“Lombardy is not just a landscape of extraordinary natural beauty but also an open-air archive of history and biodiversity.”
This remarkable find in Lombardy continues to deepen our understanding of the enduring connection between humans and the high-altitude landscapes they’ve inhabited for millennia.