Alberto Marretta

Digging the Past:

one hundred years of research on
Valcamonica rock art

The pioneering era

The strange tale of a discovery of his at the same University in Turin, to the
The first official mention of the presence of site. Marro was already a well-known per-
stone carvings in Valcamonica dates back to sonality. Some years before he had joined the
1
1909 when Walther Laeng, a young alpinist Italian Mission in Egypt led by Ernesto Schia-
from Brescia devoted to geological, chemical parelli in order to collect data on mummies
and naturalistic studies who used to pass his
summer vacations in Valcamonica, pointed Fig. 1. A portrait of Giovanni Marro (1875-1952).
out in a letter to the National Committee for
the Protection of Monuments the presence of
two engraved boulders at Pian delle Greppe
near Cemmo (Capo di Ponte, Brescia, Italy).
In 1912 Laeng wrote a short note about the
existence of these two monuments as part
of his description of Cemmo to be published
in the first edition of the Guida d’Italia: Pie-
monte, Lombardia, Canton Ticino in 1914,
edited by Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli on behalf
of the Touring Club Italiano. Laeng says that
these stones bear engravings “similar to the
famous ones of Lac de Marveilles in the Mari-
time Alps” (p. 595), but the discovery does
not seem to have been of particular interest
among Italian scholars. During the ‘20s the
engravings are mentioned only by Giuseppe
Bonafini, an archaeologist and teacher from
2
Cividate Camuno , and Senofonte Squinabol,
a geologist from the University of Turin who
was related to the influential Murachelli
family of Cemmo.
Realizing the potential antiquity of the
carved figures at Pian delle Greppe, in 1929
Squinabol brought the anthropologist Gio-
vanni Marro (Fig. 1), a friend and colleague

36
 Fig. 2. Cemmo
boulder n. 1 in
1929/30 (after
Marro 1930).

and, afterwards, had founded the Institute scholars both in Italy and more widely in
of Anthropology in Turin, where his eclectic Europe. Marro, back in Valcamonica after his
interests in psychology, ethnography and first public announcements abroad during
archaeology found the ideal place for their a session of the XV Congrés International
development and dissemination. d’Anthropologie & d’Archéologie Préhis-
But a strange coincidence took place: torique held in Lisbon (Portugal), identified,
almost simultaneously Gualtiero Laeng, cleaned and published the second boulder
suddenly remembering the discovery he (Masso di Cemmo n. 2). By now even the
had made fifteen years before, invited dr. Soprintendenza Archeologica become
Paolo Graziosi, then a young prehistorian at fully aware of the discovery and planned
the University of Florence, to examine the protection for the two monuments. While
engravings of Cemmo. Marro and Graziosi at Cemmo to oversee the construction of
therefore worked on the same spot (Fig. 2), wooden shelters to protect the boulders,
each unaware of the other, making sketches assistant Antonio Nicolussi, pressed by his
and rubbings, presenting the discovery in supervisor to broaden the research to the
various sessions of the same congress 3 (!) surrounding rocks and almost certainly taken
and not seeing the second engraved boulder there by local people, traveled on foot to a
(!!), which was very close by but completely location called Giàdeghe4 (Fig. 3), and dis-
hidden by bushes and debris. Paolo Grazi- covered the first engravings on the emerg-
osi, after this short period in Valcamonica, ing bedrock. Marro too was made aware
would rapidly devote himself to other stud- of the discovery through a letter from the
ies (rock art of Sahara, Libyan engravings, Soprintendenza’s office and soon he was
etc.), becoming after the war one of the able by himself to find another site called
most influential and esteemed scholars of Jàl dei Betinèi5, while the Soprintendenza
prehistory in Italy. focused on other rocks at Seradina, just be-
yond the famous Romanesque church of
Pieve di San Siro.
Unveiling the past: Giovanni Marro and Assuming the possible presence in the
Raffaello Battaglia area of other petroglyphs and thanks to
By 1930 the news of archaeological discov- the private tips of his friend Senofonte
eries in Italian Alps was widespread among Squinabol, to the aid of native guides and

37
 Fig. 3. Map of rock art areas
GIADIGHE around Capo di Ponte as men-
tioned by researchers during the
‘30s.

r
rive
lio
CAPITELLO

Og
DEI DUE PINI

REDONT

I DOSS
Re
PIE’
GENICAI
BEDOLINE
SERADINA
SCALE DI PASPARDO
MASSI
DI CEMMO FUSINE
CAPO DI PONTE

PASPARDO

SCALE DI CIMBERGO
CEMMO
Cleg NACQUANE
na
CIMBERGO

SURA NACQUANE

ZURLA
FOPPE
DI NADRO

Rock art area

Historical route

Village

Church

250 mt

NADRO

to the strong support of the local fascist Inscriptions”6 at Campanine di Cimbergo (Fig.
government, then headed by the mayor of 4), which for the first time directly addresses
Capo di Ponte cav. Murachelli, Marro began not only the epigraphic-linguistic findings
a quick, independent but effective research but also the historical identity of the ancient
effort that soon brought him to identify al- adopters and users of this alphabet, acknowl-
most all the existing rock art sites of middle edged as the “alfabeto di Sondrio” but today
Valcamonica, especially those of the eastern definitively addressed as “camuno”. In 1935
side. Names such as Naquane, Zurla, Foppe Francesco Ribezzo, a well-known linguist to
di Nadro, Scale di Cimbergo and Scale di whom Marro had submitted an essay on the
Paspardo appear in the writings of Marro freshly discovered inscriptions, even thought
from the early ‘30s. Many rocks and famous that the examples at Campanine were “[…]
carvings from Naquane or Campanine were written […] in an alphabet perhaps older
published and described by Marro in his fast than the common North-Etruscan” (Marro
paced production of articles and memoirs 1936), starting a wide debate which would
during the period 1932-1935. also bring foreign scholars to Valcamonica.
One of his main achievements is un- Some of these researchers were attracted
doubtedly the discovery (Marro1934) and mainly by the epigraphic discovery and,
monographic study of the “Rock of the Five subsequently, by the ethnic implications

38
 Fig. 4. The “Rock of
the Five Inscriptions”
(after Marro 1934).

arising from it. In Scandinavia the archae- the runic alphabet, taken to its extremes
ologist Arthur Gustaf Nordén, aware of the by Franz Altheim, lost its strength starting
Valcamonica findings from personal letters in the ‘60s, but the linguist Tom Markey has
from Giovanni Marro himself, was actually recently revived it with interesting new evi-
thrilled at the possibility of an origin for dence based upon a fresh interpretation of
the runic alphabet in the one used in Val- the inscriptions on the two Negau helmets
camonica inscriptions and eagerly pressed (Markey 2001).
Marro to perform more field research7. This At the same time research on Valcamonica
theory about the Central Alpine origin of stone carvings were performed also by the
archaeologist Raffello Battaglia, this time of-
Fig. 5. The big “map” of Giadeghe, locality known today ficially and on behalf of the Soprintendenza
as Pià d’Ort (after Battaglia 1934).
Archeologica di Padova, the institution which
at the time was responsible for archaeological
activity in this area and which was led by the
archaeologist Ettore Ghislanzoni. Battaglia,
though devoting less time to Valcamonica
rock art than Marro, discovered and pub-
lished many engravings that would become
famous in future times, like the iron-age
plowing scenes of Seradina, the forge-house
of Le Crus or the Bedolina and Pià d’Ort maps
(Fig. 5). His “topographical” interpretation
of the latter, following the classic explana-
tion of similar pictures in Mount Bego rock
art made by scholars like Clarence Bicknell,
Piero Barocelli or Federico Sacco, will be
strictly followed by Anati and subsequent
researchers and it is still the preferred ap-
proach nowadays (Turconi 1997).
Marro and Battaglia, often in conflict on
theoretical matters or discovery priority 8,
began to publish photographs and several
studies, laying the foundations of future
research methods, creating comparisons with
other comparable sites like Mount Bego or
Scandinavian rock art, and suggesting simi-

39
Fig. 6. Building figures on Naquane rock n. 35.

larities with the Iron Age Italic imagery, pri- able conclusions. He was a strong opponent
marily that of the Etruscans. of the palafitte theory, often stating that
Marro argued that the carvings confirm buildings on wooden poles at the lakeshore
the existence in prehistoric times of a lo- were inconsistent with the geomorphologic
cal, previously almost unknown, civiliza- environment of prehistoric Valcamonica. For
tion dwelling in palafitte (pile dwellings; this reason they should not be regarded as
see Fig. 6) and engaged in several primitive actual buildings, he wrote, but probably as
religious practices, like for example the cult food storage places or as religious construc-
of waters9, and rituals or offerings to the tions (Battaglia 1934).
sacred Concarena mountain. In this respect Both of them actually agreed on one
he followed what Miles Burkitt had sup- particular point: Valcamonica rock art had
posed for Mt. Bego rock art just few years to be considered quite solely an Iron Age
before (Burkitt 1929). Unfortunately Marro activity due to the pecking technique and
often succumbed to fanciful explanations the hardness of the local sandstone, with
of rock art scenes and his conclusions are only doubtful figures possibly of more an-
nowadays almost completely overturned, cient times and with a clear continuation in
although his works should today be better medieval and modern times, especially in
acknowledged at least because of his impor- Campanine di Cimbergo.
tant discoveries10.
Battaglia, a much more cautious individ-
ual and a much more skilled archaeologist German invasions
as well, analyzed carefully the petroglyph While the two scholars carried on their ex-
production technology, styles of figures, plorations11, the news of the discovery of
figure-artifacts comparisons and chronol- rock art in this Central Alpine valley began
ogy, possible ethnic collocation of the rock to awaken more and more interest abroad.
art producers and thus reached more accept- Taking into serious consideration the oppor-

40
Fig. 7. The big warrior of Scale di Cimbergo (today
Campanine rock n. 50), discovered by Erika Trautmann
during her lonely trip in Valcamonica in 1935 (after Al-
theim 1936).

tunities offered by Valcamonica rock art for

the reconstruction of certain fundamental
aspects of the prehistory and protohistory
of central Europe, some German researchers
came to Valcamonica with the official aim Fig. 8. The previous figure as re-discovered and traced
of studying the engraved pictures. Over the by Dipartimento Valcamonica e Lombardia del CCSP in
1997.
years 1935-1937 Franz Altheim, at the time
professor at the University of Halle, and his
assistant Erika Trautmann repeatedly visited posed dominance and civilizing supremacy
the areas of Capo di Ponte, Nadro and Cim- of the Indo-Germanic peoples.
bergo. Their first two missions are counted as Altheim stressed in particular the connec-
the XV (1935) and the XVIII (1936) Research tion with Scandinavian rock art by showing
Expedition (Forschungsreisen) organized by similarities between the two rock art im-
the Institut für Kulturmorphologie12, founded agery and a common ideology. He claimed
and led at the time by the famous German that the Camunni people known from
anthropologist and rock art researcher Leo Latin epigraphic remains and Roman au-
Frobenius, and later on, probably due to thors are nothing more than those Euganei
favorable political opportunities arising from people mentioned in classical sources (like
the special relationship of Erika Trautmann Pliny the Elder)13. The rock art belongs to
with eminent Nazi chiefs, under the financial these Euganei of the Iron Age (I mill. BC),
and ideological auspices of Himmler’s Ahnen- it is unquestionably of Indo-Germanic type
erbe Institution and the support of powerful and therefore is the result of migration of
Nazi minister Hermann Göring, Trautmann’s Aryan peoples from northern Europe, the
close friend (Pringle 2006). same people who a few centuries before
During these campaigns they found a had produced the great Scandinavian rock
lot of new engravings, which were rapidly art, which, according to him, is clearly an
published in their several subsequent arti- “Aryan” production as well. These common
cles (Figg. 7, 8). The scientific nature of their roots were, to these authors, quite plain in
research, while important for the report- Valcamonica: the cult of the Indo-Germanic
ing of some remarkable figures and for the divine entity in the form of a sun-disc, the
quantity of discovered and published panels, presence of rune signs identical to those of
is unfortunately undermined by the ideologi- central and northern Europe, the incidence
cal framework that in that period pushed of a warrior and heroic background typi-
not only Altheim himself but several other cal of Aryan people and expressed in deer
scholars of Nazi Germany to appease their hunting, in fighting scenes, in an emphasis
political sponsors by happily reinterpreting on spear and spear bearer, etc. (Altheim &
archaeological sources in the light of the sup- Trautmann 1937, 1938, 1939b).

41
Fig. 9. The supposed stag-god Kernunnos at Naquane Fig. 10. The famous symbol known as “rosa camuna”
(after Altheim & Trautmann 1937). showing on a rock at Foppe di Nadro nearby a warrior
with unusual round and rayed helmet.

One of Altheim’s major achievement is Germans, shortly fell into the same ideologi-
without doubt the discovery and descrip- cal trap, embracing the Fascist racism laws
tion of the deer-god of Naquane, which also (1938) and supporting the idea of a strong
today is credited as one of the most ancient “Italic race” whose ancient cultural roots,
pictures known of the Celtic god Kernunnos according to him, were largely testified too
(Fig. 9), and the first publication of the fa- in Valcamonica rock art. In this way Marro,
mous symbol known as the “rosa camuna” sustaining the so-called nativist trend among
(Altheim & Trautmann 1939a; see Fig. 10). the different Italian racist theoreticians (Gil-
His arguments and somewhat improbable lette 2002)14, himself created the reasons
interpretations of these topics gave rise in for the later total rejection of his work, al-
these years to a wider debate on Celtic and though today some believe that some of his
Etruscan influences on Valcamonica rock art, observations should be at least reintroduced
thanks primarily to the critical comments into the history of research. By the way, this
by the expert in Celtic art Paul Jacobsthal was the first time that Valcamonica rock art
(1938) and the subsequent remarks by Pierre showed all its ambiguity, thus testifying the
Lambrechts (1940). Anyhow, Altheim’s papers ease with which documents may be misused
contributed strongly to diffusing in European and become voice for subtle ideological and
scholarship an awareness of Valcamonica rock political interests.
art sites and their breathtaking engraved
scenes.
The awakening of the ‘50s
After the emptiness and confusion following
Rise and fall of an anthropologist the Second World War, Gualtiero Laeng re-
Meanwhile Marro, though sturdily opposing grouped local forces and managed to renew
this sort of invasion of his territory by the research with the help of some assistants,

42
Fig. 11. Inscriptions in local and Latin alphabet
(after Süss 1954).

especially Emanuele Süss, Piefranco Blesio

and Italo Zaina (all active members of the
newborn Museum of Natural Sciences in
Brescia), and aided by the essential hints
Fig. 12. Footprint and running warrior at Naquane rock
thrown by the enthusiastic young Battista n. 14.
Maffessoli from Capo di Ponte, who by him-
self had unveiled many new rock carvings. In
1954 this group discovered the engravings per Valcamonica and started up a ferocious
upon the Luine hill (Darfo Boario Terme) and argument with Laeng in an attempt to reha-
compiled the first map of the engraved rocks bilitate the work and figure of her teacher
in the area of Naquane-Ronchi di Zir (Süss after the exclusion which followed the rapid
1956a), i.e. the 93 rocks that were included erasure of the Fascist past and the death of
in the territory of the Rock Art National Park Marro himself which occurred in 1952.
of Naquane established the next year (1955) The ‘50s once again brought Raffaello
by the Superintendent Archaeologist of Lom- Battaglia to Valcamonica, being called
bardy, Mario Mirabella Roberti. The same by Bonafini after the discovery of the first
group also promoted the first debate about engraved monoliths in Borno (Battaglia &
the twenty-five years of research carried out Acanfora 1954) and Ossimo (Battaglia 1957).
until then (Giuseppe Bonafini) and the com- Battaglia studied and rapidly published the
pilation of a bibliography on Valcamonica two monuments, inaugurating locally the
rock art (Süss 1956b)15. Süss devoted also productive line of research on the Copper
much of his time in the discovery and edition Age statue-stelae16.
of new inscriptions, which seemed to him to During the ‘50s the dating of the engrav-
support a general chronology almost overlap- ings to the Iron Age became stronger and it
ping the first roman period (Fig. 11). was actively supported by Raffaello Battaglia,
Meanwhile at the University of Turin who thought that, for example, the trian-
Sabina Fumagalli, former Marro’s assistant, gular daggers found on boulders should be
in addition to continuing the study of hut compared with Italic or Hallstatt short swords
figures, discovered and published new en- from early Iron Age (Battaglia 1934), and
gravings at Sònico (Fumagalli 1956) in Up- Emanuele Süss, solidly convinced that only

43
 Fig. 13. A praying figure, sup-
posed by Emmanuel Anati to
be one of the most ancient
category of Valcamonica carv-
ings (neolithic period), emerg-
ing from the moss coverage
at Naquane.

iron tools could produce the fine pecking preted as palafitte, Ake Fredsjö (Sweden)
visible on many engraved pictures (Süss 1954; and Sverre Marstrander (Norway), Raymond
see Fig. 12). The issue of chronology was an Christinger (Swizterland), known mainly for
obvious first disagreement between Süss and research about the labyrinth, and finally
the young archaeologist Emmanuel Anati, Emmanuel Anati, who had arrived in Valca-
who, after his first visit to Valcamonica in monica in 1956 only to stay a few days.
1956, was developing the idea that many
carvings dated to a much older time than
then commonly accepted (Fig. 13).
The Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici
and the global study of rock art
A growing army of researchers
On the other hand the number of peo- Emmanuel Anati: a quick run to solve the
ple, Italian and foreign, interested in the riddle
intriguing mysteries of Valcamonica rock Emmanuel Anati, partly motivated by the
art was quickly growing as a result of the works of the “father” of European prehistory,
more favourable political situation in Eu- the Abbé Henry Breuil, came to Valcamonica
rope and the expanding knowledge of the to compare the local rock art with the Mount
presence of rock carvings in this Alpine val- Bego stone carvings, a research that he was
ley. Worth mentioning from these years are carrying out on behalf of the French Institute
the research led by Piero Leonardi from the of Human Paleontology (1956). The arrival
University of Ferrara, who in 1950 identified of Emmanuel Anati introduced important
the engraved figures closest to the Oglio new elements into the framework of the
river (Seradina - Ponte di San Rocco) and established local rock art interpretations. He
other engravings in the area of Paspardo. was the bearer of new ideas and new tools,
Some foreign scholars came to the Valley not only from a practical and purely meth-
and its extraordinary heritage as well: Hercli odological point of view, as in the system-
Bertogg (Chur, Switzerland), Herbert Kühn atic coloring of the engraved rocks (which
and E. Vogt (Germany), Peter Vilhelm Glob would soon evolve into the so-called “neutral
(Denmark), who studied the plowing scenes method”) and the tracing (at the beginning
making valuable comparisons with those in executed by sight, then “in contact” with
Scandinavia and Mount Bego (Glob 1954), the introduction of appropriate transparent
Karl Keller-Tarnuzzer (Switzerland), who media; see Fig. 14) but also theoretical, as in
resumed research on the hut figures inter- the centrality of the concept of style, of the

44
methodical comparison with archaeological
artifacts and, finally, of the superimposi-
tion analysis in order to achieve a better
chronological understanding of the entire
Valcamonica rock art phenomenon.
Already in his second campaign (Anati
1957) he discovered in the area of Paspardo
some important engravings at the “Capitello
dei Due Pini”, i.e. beside a small chapel sur-
rounded by two huge pine trees. The carved
panels were called the “Rock of the Five
Daggers”, which was later adopted as Anati’s
organization’s emblem, and the “Rock of
the Sun”, but today are catalogued more
prosaically as Plas rock n. 1 and rock n. 2.
Continuing the exploration Anati became
more and more interested in Valcamonica
rock art and began to feel the need for a Fig. 14. Emmanuel Anati working with a collaborator on
systematic and extensive study, clearly rec- a rock art panel at Seradina (photo courtesy of CCSP).
ognizing the bad habits of past researchers
who had conducted their work only in a then and on his own dozens and dozens of
fragmented and uncoordinated, independ- new engraved rocks, together with a small
ent way. With the help of Battista Maffessoli, group of students and volunteers Anati docu-
who in previous years had repeatedly helped mented through tracing and then edited and
Süss and Laeng and who had discovered with published for the first time (Anati 1960a) a

Fig. 15. Figures from the Big Rock of Naquane or rock n. 1.

45
complete large carved rock, La Grande Roche riety of human, animals and other figures
de Naquane (the Big Rock of Naquane or found on rocks, and to the presence of very
rock n. 1; Fig. 15). It was the starting point ancient weapons like halberds, two facts
of a new era. that seemed apparently to reflect a carving
Soon after this pioneering effort Anati tradition which had lasted for a much longer
published another milestone: La Civilisation time than had been suspected until then.
du Val Camonica (Anati 1960b). The book is
the result of his early years of exploration and
study and represents the first comprehensive The Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici
synthesis of the whole Valcamonica rock art and the methodical study of Valcamonica
phenomenon, assuming resolutely that this rock art
incredible archaeological site stands out as In 1964 the “Anati Mission”, namely the small
the most lasting, large and detailed historical study group that operated from 1956 in Val-
source for the comprehension of European camonica under the dynamic personality of
civilization from the end of the glacial period a young and lively Emmanuel Anati, found
to the Roman era. Anati portrays an isolated a stable home in which to think about and
and brilliant people struggling for life inside plan the immense work of documentation
the harsh prehistoric Alpine environment and study that seemed now to be emerging
and evolving locally from a small community on the horizon: thus, under the patronage
to a great and spiritually uncontaminated and sponsorship of the municipality of Capo
civilization, until their final “globalizing” di Ponte and the main Valcamonica political
absorption into the all-conquering Roman institutions (Comunità Montana and Bacino
Empire. One of the main problems faced in Imbrifero Montano), the Centro Camuno di
the book is the attempt to create a general Studi Preistorici (CCSP) was born and settled
chronological arrangement. It constitutes inside the large building that still stands be-
an attempt to give sense to the stylistic va- tween Capo di Ponte and Cemmo.
The fieldwork campaigns have continued
without interruption since then. The CCSP
Fig. 16. Daggers with triangular blades from engraved
menhir Campolungo 1. This object are supposed to launched full prospecting and systematic de-
depict copper weapons with shapes very similar to the tection efforts directed not only at individual
ones found in Remedello necropolis, a copper age site rocks but also at entire engraved areas. An
southern Brescia. effective documentation method using trans-
parent sheets to create the faithful copies of
the figures beneath was meanwhile devel-
oped and rapidly adopted to produce large
quantities of raw graphic data for subsequent
analysis. In 1968, addressing the problematic
state of conservation of the engravings upon
the Luine hill (Darfo Boario Terme), Anati
adopted the treatment of engraved rock
surfaces called the “neutral method” 17 as
the ultimate system to allow a precise and
faithful detection and subsequent tracing of
the existing pictures. At the same time began
a fruitful edition of journals, like the BCSP or
Bulletin of the CCSP, and monographs about
prehistoric art and religion. Particularly im-
portant are La datazione dell’arte rupestre
camuna (1963), the second draft after La
Civilisation du Valcamonica toward a general
subdivision into four main styles/periods of
the whole Valcamonica imagery, and the

46
 Fig. 17. One of the
big animals from
Luine (Darfo Boario
Terme) attributed
by Anati to pre-
neolithic peoples.

monographs Il Masso di Borno (1966) and I During the ‘70s fieldwork documentation
Massi di Cemmo (1967), both representing was carried out mainly in Foppe di Nadro,
the definitive revision of the monuments where also was discovered and excavated
and making the argument that these kind of the archeological site at Riparo II (Shelter II).
engraved boulders should be dated mainly to The important site of Dos dell’Arca (Capo di
the Copper Age due to the consistency with Ponte) had already been dug by the Anati
some carved figures and weapons of that Mission during the early ‘60s, while other ar-
period, especially the so-called Remedello chaeological excavations were conducted by
daggers (Fig. 16). Meanwhile, fieldwork CCSP at the site of Le Sante di Capo di Ponte
campaigns carried on activities in Seradina, and, by Francesco Fedele on behalf of CCSP,
Bedolina, Dos Mirichì and, finally, the Luine at the Neolithic settlement in Breno’s castle
hill, but explorations continued throughout (years ‘70-’80). The pioneering excavations
the Valley. by Anati revealed for the first time the exist-
ence of specific Valcamonica archaeological
facies during the various periods, especially
Era of the great events the later phases of Iron Age, with very typical
In 1968 the first Valcamonica Symposium pottery shapes found in the eponym site of
was held, an international congress that Dos dell’Arca. Following findings at Massi di
gathered in Valcamonica several Italian and Cemmo, Anati also claimed to have found
foreign scholars to discuss art, religion and evidence of carvings being painted during
expressions of the intellectual life of pre- prehistoric times, a claim that seems to have
historic and tribal people. In the same year been definitely proven by Francesco Fedele
the general chronological arrangement of at the Copper Age site of Anvòia-Ossimo19.
Valcamonica rock art, proposed by Anati Fedele’s excavation at Breno’s castle on the
eight years before, reached its ultimate sta- other hand discovered the definitive pres-
bilization with the division into four styles ence of Neolithic settlements in Valcamonica,
or main periods and two appendices, the thus partly confirming the existence of local
Protocamuno (Fig. 17) and the Postcamuno communities possibly being the carvers of
styles18, a system continuously repurposed the many praying figures that Anati thought
and recently reproposed with only minor as of Neolithic tradition. At the same time
changes (Anati 2004). individual scholars went on with research on

47
 Fig. 18. The Concarena mountain
cast his majestic shape upon many
engraved areas of Middle Valca-
monica. In foreground carvings on
a rock at Piè (Capo di Ponte).

some of the many subjects represented in the book Luine collina sacra, but Anati would
Valcamonica rock art, such as figures of build- progressively focus his efforts away from Val-
ings, alphabetic inscriptions, topographical camonica and would devote almost all of his
compositions, wagons, labyrinths, plowing time to gathering information about the rock
scenes, “big hand” human figures, etc. art of every continent and period, trying to
In 1979 UNESCO, upon the suggestion of trace the roots of humankind’s language and
Emmanuel Anati and the formal proposal of religion (Anati 2003) and to collect all this
the Regione Lombardia, put Valcamonica knowledge into the largest existing database
rock art into the World Heritage List, the about the subject: the World Archive of Rock
first Italian monument to achieve this honour Art (WARA). The base and main laboratory
(Fig. 18). In 1982 in Milan the exhibition I of this life-long project would remain the
Camuni, the roots of European civilization CCSP in Capo di Ponte, but local fieldwork
took place. The event, accompanied by a would be largely transferred to trusted col-
voluminous book (Anati 1982a) and attended laborators, like Umberto Sansoni, Tiziana
by thousands of people, renewed some inter- Cittadini or Mila Simoes de Abreu.
est amongst the public, especially from an
educational point of view. In the same year
the site of Luine was finally edited by Anati in

48
 Fig. 19. Running deer from
Naquane rock 44.

Contemporary approaches and research as Pià d’Ort, Campanine di Cimbergo, Zurla or

projects the several sub-areas of Paspardo, like In Val,
During the ‘80s new engraved rocks were Dos Sottolaiolo, Vite/Deria, etc. (Marretta et
found and documented in Foppe di Nadro, al. 2007). A lot of discoveries must be granted
Seradina, Sellero and Paspardo. For some also to independent researcher Ausilio Priuli,
of them there would be a complete edition who above all studied and published the
by Anati’s teammate Umberto Sansoni, like fresh new area with late Iron Age imagery
Arte rupestre di Sellero (1987) and Pià d’Ort, of Piancogno (Priuli 1993) and who is the
la vicenda di un santuario preistorico alpino founder of several successful educational
(1995). In the late ‘80s the Dipartimento Val- parks about rock art and prehistory.
camonica e Lombardia del CCSP was born, led Recently a slightly more systematic reas-
by Umberto Sansoni, as was the Cooperativa sessment of Anati’s chronology had been
Archeologica “Le Orme dell’Uomo” (“The undertaken by Raffaele de Marinis, prehis-
Footsteps of Man”), led by Angelo Fossati torian at the University of Milan, and his
and founded with Mila Simoes de Abreu, colleague Angelo Fossati. The authors think
two organizations which are continuing in that the praying figures should be primarily
an autonomous manner and with diverging placed into the Middle-Final Bronze Age/
chronological ideas the challenging work of Early Iron Age and not in Neolithic times
documentation and study of large areas such (De Marinis 1992, Fossati 2000), a period
“Rosa Camuna” and geometric symbols on the rock of
the Map, Bedolina. Elegant horse carved on a rock in Bedolina.

49
 that, according to them, is probably repre-
sented only by the so-called “topographic
compositions”20 spread on many rocks and
mostly highlighted in recent years in the
Paspardo areas (Arcà 1994). Another point
regards the more precise definition of the
Copper Age IIIA-style (De Marinis 1994) and
a thorough study of the Iron Age warrior
imagery, seen as a production characterized
by a set of votive images engraved during
initiation rituals through which young people
belonging to the local aristocracy entered
the adult age (Fossati 1991).
Current scholar relationships between
Valcamonica and Scandinavia have revamped
an interest that started almost from the early
‘30s (Nordèn) and continued through the
‘60s (Glob, Fredsjö, Marstrander), clearly due
to the striking similarities between the two
rock art traditions. Some of the latest Val-
camonica Symposium was actually held in
Tanum (Bertilsson & McDermott 2004), while
Fig. 20. The inextricable mass of engravings recently a three years large and structured research
highlighted on a rock at Pagherina (Capo di Ponte). plan, the RockCare Project, brought to a tight
Remarkable overlappings are showed by footprints, geo-
collaboration between researchers of both
metric shapes, huts and cupmarks.
countries on issues of conservation, docu-
mentation and general knowledge about
rock art (Bertilsson 2001; Fig. 20). In this new
direction of exchange and growing aware-
ness about the reciprocal cultural heritage
the two towns of Capo di Ponte and Tanum
started in 2006 a twin-project which is con-
tributing to bring also to younger students
and to the population the need of research
and conservation of this extraordinary Eu-
ropean archaeological sites.
Many other Alpine areas were investi-
gated during the ‘90s, among them princi-
pally Valtellina, whose rock art expressions
bear the strongest connection with Valca-
monica’s immense production. In more recent
years constant new discoveries are bringing
light to large unknown areas, particular top-
ics, like building figures, birds, topographic
compositions (Fig. 21) or specific periods, such
as the Copper Age (Campolungo-Cedegolo,
Ossimo-Anvòia, Ossimo-Pat, Cemmo, etc.)21,

Fig. 21. A new big “topographic composition” stand

few meters behind the more famous Bedolina Map. In
the background the Pizzo Badile mountain rise from the
plateau of Cimbergo and Paspardo.

50
Documenting rock art during the ‘50s. Annotating pic- Documenting rock art today. The tracing with transpar-
tures after the painting of the engravings (photo cour- ent sheets and black markers at Campanine di Cimbergo
tesy Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici). (photo courtesy Dipartimento Valcamonica e Lombardia
del CCSP).

and are allowing the formulation of a more bis zum Tode des Pyrrhos. Die Welt als Ges-
refined interpretation of many of the prob- chichte, 2, p. 68-94.
lems with which Valcamonica rock art, after Altheim, Franz & Trautmann, Erika, 1937,
almost one hundred years of discoveries and Nordische und Italische Felsbildkunst. Die
studies, is still challenging the contemporary Welt als Geschichte, 3, p. 83-113.
human mind. Altheim, Franz & Trautmann, Erika,1938,
Neue Felsbilder aus der Valcamonica. Die
Alberto Marretta, Sonne im Kult und Mythos. Wörter und
a.marretta@libero.it Sachen, 19, p. 12-45.
Altheim, Franz & Trautmann, Erika 1939a,
Keltische Felsbilder der Val Camonica. Rö-
Acknowledgements mische Mitteilungen (Mitteilungen der Deut-
Thanks to Battista († 2006) and Tommaso schen Archäologische Institut), 59, p. 1-13.
Maffessoli for their priceless advices about Altheim, Franz & Trautmann, Erika 1939b,
the researches during the ‘50 and to Craig Vom Ursprung der Runen. Frankfurt am
Alexander for his invaluable kindness in re- Main.
viewing and commenting the manuscript. Anati, Emmanuel, 1957, Nuove incisioni
preistoriche nella zona di Paspardo in Val-
camonica. Bullettino di Paletnologia Italiana,
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Römischen Geschichte: von den Anfängen de Naquane. Paris, Masson.

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edited by Poggiani Keller, R. & Marretta, A., Turconi, Cristina, 1997, La mappa di Bedolina
Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della nel quadro dell’arte rupestre della Valca-
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alle Scale di Cimbergo. In Sentieri del tempo:
l’arte rupestre di Campanine tra Storia e
Preistoria. Atti della IIa giornata di studio
sulle incisioni rupestri della Riserva Regionale Notes
di Ceto, Cimbergo e Paspardo. Nadro, 14-15 1 During the First World War he would
Maggio 2005, edited by Marretta, A. Mor- change his first name to Gualtiero in order
phosis - Associazione Culturale, p. 13-32. to underline his opposition to the Austrian
Marretta, Alberto, Cittadini Tiziana & Fossati occupation in Trentino-Alto Adige and ex-
Angelo, 2007, La Riserva Naturale Incisioni press his support of the war by Italy against
Rupestri di Ceto, Cimbergo, Paspardo. Guida the Central Empires. His father was a Swiss
ai percorsi di visita. Edizioni del Centro, Capo engineer transferred to Brescia in the second
di Ponte. half of the XIX century.
Marro, Giovanni, 1932, Il grandioso monu- 2 Scholar of ancient Rome and Latin epig-
mento paletnologico di Val Camonica. Atti raphy Bonafini was for many years honorary
della Reale Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, inspector of the Soprintendenza Archeo-
57 (Adunanza 12 giugno 1932), Estratto. logica as well. He photographed the Cemmo
Marro, Giovanni, 1934, L’elemento epigrafico boulder n. 1 for his degree thesis in 1927 but
preistorico fra le incisioni rupestri della Valca-

53
didn’t manage to find the second engraved 16 Many other carved boulders will be
boulder. found later in Ossimo-Borno and other areas
3 The communications were held in dif- of the Valley. See expecially Casini 1994 and
ferent section of the XIX Riunione della So- Casini & Fossati 2007.
cietà Italiana per il Progresso delle Scienze, 17 The method consisted in painting the
Bolzano-Trento, September 1930. See Bon- whole rock with a white pigment and softly
afini 1932. colouring the not-carved smooth surface
4 Part of the area today known as Pià Ort, with a contrasting tone, usually black, thus
which is quite far from Pian delle Greppe – revealing all the smallest pecking and scratch-
Massi di Cemmo. See map in Fig. 3. ing which remained brightly white upon a
5 Still part of Pià d’Ort and far only a few black background. See Anati 1977 for further
feet from Giàdeghe. See Marro 1932. details on methodology issues.
6 This rock is today classified as rock n. 27 18 Protocamuno (a late Paleolithic phase
of the area of Campanine di Cimbergo. The represented by only a few figures of large
area is part of the Riserva Naturale Incisioni mammals at Luine), Neolithic (styles I and II),
Rupestri di Ceto, Cimbergo, Paspardo. See Copper Age (style III-A), Bronze Age (styles
Marretta et al. 2007. III-BCD), Iron Age (styles IV-ABCDEF), Post-
7 See the quoting by Marro of a Nordén’s camuno (covering the Roman, medieval and
letter to him (Marro 1936). modern times). See Anati 1976.
8 This last issue will become a leit motiv 19 The site, today open as Anvòia Archaeo-
of Valcamonica rock art research. Many en- logical Park (Ossimo, Brescia), has been exca-
gravings will be “discovered” two or three vated from 1988 to 2003. Some fundamental
times, often without mention of previous but still preliminary interpretations of the
publications. See Marretta 2007. site can be found in Fedele 2007 and 2008.
9 This cult, according to Marro, was proved 20 Excluding the Bedolina Map-type com-
by the frequent occurrences of shovel figures positions which, according to them, belong
(“palette”), which were identified by him as to Middle Iron Age. See Turconi 1997.
paddles. 21 A recent survey can be found in Mar-
10 See Brunod 1994, 1996. retta 2004. Some up-to-date information on
11 But interest is already fading off during excavations at Massi di Cemmo can be found
the years 1934-35, when Battaglia give up in Poggiani Keller & Ruggiero 2005.
his Valcamonica studies and Marro gradually
loose the initial originality and strength.
12 A third mission, marked as XIX (1937)
Research Expedition and led by D.C. Fox, will
miss Franz Altheim and Erika Trautmann,
who will carry on Valcamonica researches
by their own.
13 The same idea, obviously cleaned of
any political or ideological background, is
today sustained on the basis of archaeo-
logical data by Raffaele de Marinis. See De
Marinis 1999.
14 But shamelessly changing his mind just
minutes later toward possible Aryan roots of
the Italic people as well, in total opposition
to his previous statements and thus clearly
according to political opportunity.
15 An updated bibliography, with some
comments on Süss 1956 edition, has been
compiled and published by the author in
2005. See Marretta 2005.

54