Dos dell’Arca – The “Quattro Dossi” Project

The Quattro Dossi area is located in the centre of the Valle Camonica, UNESCO site no. 94. Since 2010, UniPV has been carrying out research here through archival studies, material culture analysis, extensive field surveys and excavations. The site, where rock art and archaeological material evidence have been intertwined for more than 4000 years, is a central place in the area. Five field campaigns have been carried out so far, yielding a wealth of data: in total, the Quattro Dossi area comprises 4 different sites, 72 carved rocks and a long history of 5 different phases. Particular attention has been paid to the Dos dell'Arca site, where there was a recurrent human presence from the Late Neolithic (late 5th millennium BC) to the Iron Age (1st millennium BC). During this period, the site was structured as an open-air sanctuary where fire-related cult activities were performed in close proximity to the ancestral practice of rock carving, providing a unique opportunity to study the relationship between the two phenomena and thus establishing a link between ideology and everyday life.