About 35 000 petroglyphs from the late Bronze Age are to be found all over the high valleys around Mont Bégo (2 872m) in the Mercantour National Park. Somehorned figures (bovines), weapons (daggers, halberds, axes), as well as anthropomorphic and geometric figures, can be seen at an altitude between 2 000 and 2 600 meters. The Merveilles and the Fontanalba valleys are the most famous sa they have the greatest concentration of petroglyphs.
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The Vallée des Merveilles, located in the Mercantour National Park in the heart of the Southern Alps, is an exceptional site with over 35,000 protohistoric rock engravings. Dating back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages, these works mingle with more recent engravings of a pastoral or military nature.
Discovered at the end of the 19th century, these engravings adorn glacier-polished rocks or boulders, bearing witness to human practices dating back thousands of years. They fall into two main categories: "V"-shaped grooves, corresponding to inscriptions or schematic outlines, which seem to date from recent periods; and circular depressions, called cupules, characteristic of the Bronze Age. These are made by percussion and feature motifs such as horned figures (often cattle), weapons (daggers, halberds, axes...), anthropomorphs and geometric figures (spirals, reticulated patterns...). The interpretation of these images remains delicate, but they are generally associated with religious or spiritual beliefs.
These rock engravings, numbering around 100,000 - of which 37,000 are figurative - cover 3,700 rocks and nearly 1,400 hectares. They are located in a larger area of 4,000 hectares, spread over seven valleys at altitudes of over 2,000 meters, around Mont Bégo (2,872 m) and Rocher des Merveilles (2,659 m). Six of these valleys are in France: Vallauretta, Valmasque, Col du Sabion, Lac Sainte-Marie, and the Merveilles (972 ha) and Fontanalba (486 ha) valleys, which are particularly noteworthy for the richness of their engravings. The majority of engravings are found around Mont Bégo, located in the commune of Tende, which has led some researchers to consider this peak a sacred site. The distribution of engravings is roughly equivalent between the Merveilles and Fontanalba valleys, these two sites being located respectively to the west and north of Mont Bégo.
The archaeological sites are easily accessible from the Roya valley, notably from Lac des Mesches and the hamlet of Casterino. Although it's possible to visit these sites on your own by following the signposted footpaths, guided tours are offered daily from mid-June to the end of September in both valleys. Guided tours on request are also available by contacting one of our authorized guides.
The Vallée des Merveilles is also part of the famous "Route de la Préhistoire", an itinerary that highlights the historical and cultural importance of the region.
Discovered at the end of the 19th century, these engravings adorn glacier-polished rocks or boulders, bearing witness to human practices dating back thousands of years. They fall into two main categories: "V"-shaped grooves, corresponding to inscriptions or schematic outlines, which seem to date from recent periods; and circular depressions, called cupules, characteristic of the Bronze Age. These are made by percussion and feature motifs such as horned figures (often cattle), weapons (daggers, halberds, axes...), anthropomorphs and geometric figures (spirals, reticulated patterns...). The interpretation of these images remains delicate, but they are generally associated with religious or spiritual beliefs.
These rock engravings, numbering around 100,000 - of which 37,000 are figurative - cover 3,700 rocks and nearly 1,400 hectares. They are located in a larger area of 4,000 hectares, spread over seven valleys at altitudes of over 2,000 meters, around Mont Bégo (2,872 m) and Rocher des Merveilles (2,659 m). Six of these valleys are in France: Vallauretta, Valmasque, Col du Sabion, Lac Sainte-Marie, and the Merveilles (972 ha) and Fontanalba (486 ha) valleys, which are particularly noteworthy for the richness of their engravings. The majority of engravings are found around Mont Bégo, located in the commune of Tende, which has led some researchers to consider this peak a sacred site. The distribution of engravings is roughly equivalent between the Merveilles and Fontanalba valleys, these two sites being located respectively to the west and north of Mont Bégo.
The archaeological sites are easily accessible from the Roya valley, notably from Lac des Mesches and the hamlet of Casterino. Although it's possible to visit these sites on your own by following the signposted footpaths, guided tours are offered daily from mid-June to the end of September in both valleys. Guided tours on request are also available by contacting one of our authorized guides.
The Vallée des Merveilles is also part of the famous "Route de la Préhistoire", an itinerary that highlights the historical and cultural importance of the region.
The Vallée des Merveilles, located in the Mercantour National Park in the heart of the Southern Alps, is an exceptional site with over 35,000 protohistoric rock engravings. Dating back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages, these works mingle with more recent engravings of a pastoral or military nature.
Discovered at the end of the 19th century, these engravings adorn glacier-polished rocks or boulders, bearing witness to human practices dating back thousands of years. They fall into two...
Discovered at the end of the 19th century, these engravings adorn glacier-polished rocks or boulders, bearing witness to human practices dating back thousands of years. They fall into two...
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