In the summer of 2017, a hiker in the Italian Alps stumbled upon mysterious carvings etched into rocks near the Pizzo Tresero glacier.
This led to a comprehensive investigation by researchers, who now believe the site might have served as a Bronze Age sanctuary thousands of years ago.
The symbols, carved into rocks over 3,000 meters above sea level, are now the highest-altitude petroglyphs discovered in Europe.
The findings challenge previous assumptions about ancient human activity in the mountains, suggesting that our European ancestors traveled to and interacted with high-altitude areas more frequently than previously thought.
Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese
Symbols and Possible Meanings
The carvings include human-like figures and spirals—motifs commonly found in prehistoric rock art worldwide, according to the Historie magazine. While the exact meaning of the spirals remains uncertain, scholars speculate they could symbolize the sun, rebirth, or even a portal to the underworld.
Researchers have dated the petroglyphs to various periods of the Bronze Age, indicating that the site may have been used over several centuries. The intricate carvings suggest that the area could have been a sacred site where people came to worship their gods.
A Shrine in the Glaciers
The location of the carvings, at the foot of the Pizzo Tresero glacier, raises intriguing questions about the spiritual and cultural significance of glaciers for the Alpine people. Some researchers theorize that these high-altitude areas could have been decorated shrines or sanctuaries.
“The symbolism and carving techniques suggest that this site held significant importance for the people of the time,” the Lombardy regional authorities said in a press release.
Experts also believe the sanctuary might be linked to the Val Camonica valley, located about 80 kilometers away.
Val Camonica is renowned for its vast collection of rock art, including thousands of carvings that earned it recognition as Italy's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
The discovery of the carvings, along with fossils and other remains, has prompted researchers to describe the area as an “archaeological and biological portal to the past.”
Photo: Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio delle province di Como, Lecco, Monza e Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese
