1

A new rock with topographic compositions

discovered in Bedolina, Valcamonica, Italy
Alberto Marretta
T
he Bedolina aiea is today known mostly foi
one unique iock ait panel, the big topogiaph-
ic composition on iock n. 1 called the Bedo-
lina Map (A:i 1960, Bri:vX Liovis 1972,
Tuvcoi 1997), and it has nevei been methodically
inspected. Howevei, beyond this wellknown iock,
the Bedolina aiea contains many othei panels sui-
iounding the Map which constitute a iemaikable
fiamewoik, yet pooily documented, foi a system-
atic appioach to the analysis of the whole iock ait
site.
In geneial the imageiy found in Bedolina links
both with Seiadina below (ploughing scenes) and
the adjoining Dos Miiich above, while at the same
time it does display maiked chaiacteiistics of its
own, such as a notewoithy fiequency of camunian
ioses and the iaie piesence of socalled buccinae
(oi cornua), iepiesentations of cuived metal wind
instiuments piobably used duiing the middle and
nal Iion Age and the Roman peiiod. Veiy spo-
iadic, like anywheie else on the slope, aie huts and
footpiints. As said, extiaoidinaiy and deseivedly
famous is the laige engiaved image belonging to
the categoiy of inteiconnected geometiic elements,
oi maps, which heie ciop up mainly in the aiea of
the small ats of lowei Bedolina, that is in the sub-
aiea included in zoo into the cuiient giounds of
the SeiadinaBedolina Aichaeological Paik.
Te uncommon density of engiaved iocks and
the iich context of oveihanging iock shelteis make
this one of the most inteiesting places today foi the
study of the ielationship between iock ait and the
aichaeologicalenviionmental context. Fuithei,
the piesent discoveiy thiows new light on the so
called topogiaphic compositions, which become,
peihaps unexpectedly, one of the tiickiest subjects
in camunian iock ait. It is woith mentioning that
in the last few yeais weie discoveied many ancient-
Fig. 1. View of the engraved rock during the grazing morning
light. In the background stands the top of Pizzo Badile Camu-
no (photo Alberto Marretta).
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2
most maps (nal NeolithiciCoppei Age) and they
almost entiiely belong to the Paspaido aieas (AvcX
1999). Te discoveiy and study of a new big topo-
giaphic composition, along with othei cases of less
complex oi sometimes single geometiic elements,
neveitheless make Bedolina cuiiently the piimaiy
centie of these paiticulai layouts.
Te discovery
Duiing the aichaeological inspection and iecoid-
ing of decoiated iock suifaces (diiected by Lom-
baidys Aichaeological Supeiintendence and the
City of Capo di Ponte) undeitaken on occasion of
the setting up of the Aichaeological Paik (Maich
Septembei zoo), the Centio Camuno di Studi Pie-
istoiici thoioughly checked the engiaved aieas sub-
jected to inteivention.
Opeiations to x the pathway aiound iock n.
1 involved the iemoval of debiis fiom the biggest
mound piesent in the aiea (bouldeis, iocks and
pebbles heaped up by local iesidents in the couise
of land claims foi faiming puiposes) with the aim
of secuiing some stone walls neai the established
path. Te heap was located some 1 meties west
of iock n. 1, on a spot wheie the undeilying iock
suiface slopes down a few meties until it ieaches a
small basin ending onto the veitical wall of a laige,
natuial iock sheltei to the west. Alieady known
weie the neaiby maiked iocks and, in paiticulai,
iock n. ; itself, mostly hidden beneath the mound,
with seveial waiiioi guies and some hoisemen
showing on gioundlevel panels. Te iock inspec-
tion, in view of the physical iemoval of the debiis,
biought to light at once an extiemely iich, decoiat-
ed ensemble consisting mainly in a bioad geomet-
iic composition similai to the Bedolina Map, heie
eniiched with hundieds of human guies as well.
Accoiding to local memoiy this veiy suiface
and its topogiaphic images has nevei been in
open light duiing the XX centuiy and was nevei
pieviously iecoided. Te discoveiy, exceptional in
itself and by itself foi the quantity and the complex-
ity of the subjects, thiows o balance the iatio of
the aieas topogiaphic iepiesentations and theii
distiibution in the zone undei examination.
A brief description of the imagery
Heie is a limited account of the engiavings appeai-
Alberto Marretta
Fig. 2. A look on the thick assembling of pictures in the central part (photo Alberto Marretta).
3
ing on this suiface, in view of a full iepoit on this
and othei iocks of the aiea. Te veiy complexity of
the iepiesentations and the unusually high numbei
of guies andioi oveilaps call foi caution in pio-
ceeding, at least in the piesent state of knowledge,
with assessing chionology and moie geneially at-
tempting inteipietation.
Te new big decoiated iock, which keeps n. ; as
pait of the same outciop, extends ovei some z me-
ties of length and 1o of width, gently sloping to the
west fiom a natuial hollow in the uppei pait, wheie
iainwatei iegulaily gatheis. Te inteinal suiface of
the hollow itself is fully decoiated, so that in wet
peiiods most of the guies iemain hidden undei
stagnating iainwatei. Noticeably a manmade wa- made wa- made wa-
teiway was giooved into the iock fiom this natuial
diaining point, seemingly to aid the outow. In the
noithein section the suiface shows signs of weath-
eiing and the engiavings (again topogiaphic pat-
teins) aient easily spotted and can be iecognized
only in conditions of giazing light.
Te bioad, giey, glacieipolished suiface is
ciowded also with hundieds of human guies,
mostly waiiiois in complex ielations with each
othei and often oveilapping in the geneial setting
of an extensive, detailed stiuctuie made of numei-
ous geometiical fiames lled with oideily lines of
cupmaiks. Te quadiangles aie sometimes con-
nected by long, winding lines.
Fiom among the topogiaphic patteins, we
can ioughly single out the following elements:
Squaie oi quadiangulai fiames lled in with
iows of cupmaiks. Some of the fiames contain a
biggei cup fiom which a waving line depaits to
ieach anothei squaie/iectangle of the same kind,
uncommon but standing out aie quadiangles with
a iinged cup (moie fiequently found on iock n. 1)
oi exceptionally a boxed cup, the cupmaiks gen-
eially appeai less oideily put than on the Bedolina
Map,
Rectangulai shapes paitly lled with cups
(e.g., just one inteinal peiimetiical line of cups),
Rectangulai shapes with cups as well as othei
geometiical subdivisions inside (moie iectangles,
etc.),
Suboval oi ciiculai shapes with innei cups,
sometimes aiianged so as to follow the thieedi-
mensional iock suiface (hollows, knobs, etc.), espe-
cially with lines oi othei peiimetial elements iun-
ning along the suifacing edges (south section),
One big iectangulai giid with cups in some
squaies,
Two symmetiical motifs with ciiclesiconcen-
A new rock with topographic compositions discovered in Bedolina, Valcamonica, Italy
Fig. 3. Geometric shapes (squares, rectangles and small cup-
marks) are overimposed by big and deep cups. In the upper
part stands two unusual concentricarcs shapes (photo Alber-
to Marretta).
Fig. 4. Squared eld of cup-marks that shows variations in the
inside pattern. Quite clear is the use of dierent tools for the
two shapes (chronological phase or many authors?). Photo Al-
berto Marretta.
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tiic iings positioned in the centie of the geometiic
composition,
Numeious wavy lines joining the vaiious
abovedened geometiic shapes,
Big and deep cupmaiks, clusteied mostly in
the cential zone, a few ciicled by a iing. Raie cup
lled quadiangulai shapes topped by a tiiangle
(a compaiable example occuis on the Rock of the
Map).
Te oveiall abstiact design, appaiently con-
ceived as a whole (even though the dieient peck-
ing tools and styles distinguishing some elements
may suggest dieient authois oi chionological
phases) and obviously ielated to the guies of neai-
by Bedolina Map, extends itself ovei many squaie
meties on the entiie suiface, sometimes following
ostensibly the undeilying thieedimensional moi- dimensional moi- dimensional moi-
phology. Tis topogiaphic composition is to date
the biggest and most complex design of this kind
known in Valcamonica. Consideiing both the anal-
ogy with the Map, which was iecently attiibuted
to the middle Iion Age (Tuvcoi 1997), and the
pieliminaiy stage of supeiimposition analysis, the
making of this panel should also be placed in a time
between the late Bionze and the middle Iion Age
(ca. 1,oooioo n.c.).
Paiticulaily inteiesting, not only foi dating pui-
poses but also in teims of the possible meaning of
such designs, is ceitainly the thick ciowding of hu-
man guies a unique chaiacteiistic heie in the
bioadei context of Bedolinas iocks. Te humans
weie caived in with maikedly dieient tools and
hands and show all the sundiy vaiiations so fai
encounteied on iock ait sites of the westein side of
Middle Valley.
Te main subject is the aimed human guie,
pietty much chaiacteiized as follows:
Waiiiois with a lineai body, geneially aimed
with speai (held upiight) and a small oval shield.
Te guies aie standing and fiontfacing. In some
cases, such humans aciobatically iide animals
(most likely equids) sketched moie schematically
than anywheie on Valcamonica iocks.
Duelling guies aimed with a small shield
(the limb holding it is iepiesented with the well
known depiction device called by some aichaolo-
gists tuin of the aim) and a swoid wielded fion-
tally. Tese guies aie always small and clusteied
mainly in the southein section.
Roughly shaped schematic guies, with haid-
toiecognize weaponiy. Tese lattei types aie veiy
numeious, mostly ciowding the uppei cential aiea.
Bettei detailed and biggei guies, with swoid,
laige hollow shield, and sometimes a helmet. Tey
concentiate in the centiallowei aiea.
Alberto Marretta
Fig. 5. Shape lled with cupmarks. One of the cup-marks
has been inscribed into a smaller square, from which depart
a waving line going to other similar elements (photo Alberto
Marretta).
Fig. 6. Tracing of Fig. 5 (Alberto Marretta).
Fig. 7. Group of small and elegant armed gures. Probably
Middle Iron Age (photo Alberto Marretta).
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An exceptional seiies of foui small guies (ca.
1o cm tall) but made with iemaikable dynamism
and sense of scale. Tese aie positioned on the
iighthand edge of the iock.
Two veiy laige guies (ca. 1 m tall, incom-
plete in the highei pait) situated in the uppei limit
of the centie of the iock. Haid to see when light is
less than optimal, they seem to oveiiide the whole
suiiounding complex.
To all of this aie added a few footpiints (viitu-
ally absent at Seiadina and Bedolina, but incieas-
ingly piesent at Dos Miiich and Pi dOit) and
iaie animals (a deei and othei quadiupeds of dif-
cult iecognition).
Conclusions
In light of this and othei signicant discoveiies, it
is now cleai that whatevei study is to be made on
the topogiaphic theme oi, moie cautiously, on
geometiic compositions of Valcamonica iock ait,
must fiom now on take into account the Bedolina
aiea in all its complexity, with special attention to
iock n. ;.
Te iconogiaphic wealth of this suiface will
ceitainly beai new elements foi dating puiposes,
but also new challenges foi those who attempt to
identify this teiiitoiy as the giounds of the Map.
Te concealed position, not lending itself to bioad
views, is in shaip contiast with the factoi that so
fai has been consideied almost an essential condi-
tion foi iepioducing the countiyside. Tis veiy ai-
gument has always been biought up to suppoit the
inteipietative line of the Bedolina Map, as well as
othei compositions of the kind, e.g., Pi dOit iock
n. , (Ssoi, Gvioo 1995). Conveisely, the
imposing wall (a veiitable abri) standing out a few
meties behind this iock makes foi a unique geo-
moiphological setting, which cant but suggest the
piesence of an untouched aichaeological site, yet to
be put in ielation with the neighbouiing iock ait.
Tese aie obviously pieliminaiy iemaiks, await-
ing piopei (and welcome) ieseaich piojects. In the
meanwhile, let us keep in mind that geometiic
topogiaphic elements do chaiacteiize, also and
mostly in isolated foims, the entiie Aichaeologi-
cal Paik of SeiadinaBedolina and neaiby zones
of the westein slope. Tis means that only a thoi-
ough analysis of all known cases will enable us to
inciease oui knowledge about this complex, often
puzzling iconogiaphic body.
A new rock with topographic compositions discovered in Bedolina, Valcamonica, Italy
Acknowledgements
My special thanks to Saia Rinetti, who aided me with piice-
less self-will on eveiy phase of this woik. I also acknowledge
the city administiation, staiting with Capo di Pontes mayoi,
Fiancesco Manella, and Seigio Tuietti foi theii continuing
suppoit, Ilaiia Zonta, Fiancesco Feiiati and the entiie Pio
Loco Association foi theii geneiosity and unagging enthu-
siasm. I am giateful also to the Sopiintendenza pei i Beni Ai-
cheologici della Lombaidia and to dott.ssa Raaella Poggiani
Kellei foi the usual and kind suppoit.
My deaiest thoughts go to Battista Maessoli (), who enjoyed
this last discoveiy with us, and whose teaching I will always
beai in mind.
References
A:i E. 1960, La Civilisation du Val Camonica,
Paiis, Aithaud.
AvcX A. 1999, Incisioni topogiache e paesaggi
agiicoli nellaite iupestie della Valcamonica e del
Monte Bego, Notizie Archeologiche Bergomensi,
;:zo;-z.
Bri:v Liovis M. 1972, Los giabados iupesties
de Bedolina (Valcamonica), BCSP (Bollettino del
Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici), 8:1z1-18.
Ssoi U., Gvioo S. 1995, Larte rupestre del
Pi dOrt. La vicenda di un santuario preistorico
alpino, Capo di Ponte, Edizioni del Centio.
Tuvcoi C. 1997, La mappa di Bedolina nel quadio
dellaite iupestie della Valcamonica, Notizie Ar-
cheologiche Bergomensi, :8-11.