Abstract
Thousands of painted inscriptions in red ochre made by shepherds and goatherds are left on the mountain cliffs of the Valley of Fiemme (Trentino, Italy). The writings, dating from 1650 until about 1950, make use of alphabetic signs and numbers as a significant display of the shepherds’ acquired ability to read and write. In the inscriptions, two main styles are used. One can be called “lapidary,” and is derived from the graphic language of boundary stones and crosses. The other can be called “extemporaneous,” and it allows for the expression of individual feelings and attitudes. The two styles separate and differ in a way that calls for a more complex, dialectic approach to the interpretation of rock art.
An earlier version of this paper was published in Bazzanella, M., Kezich, G. & L. Pisoni (2014), “Adio pastori! Ethics and aesthetics of an alphabetized pastoral subculture. The case of Fiemme in the Eastern Alps (1680–1940). Adio pastori! La ética y la estética de una subcultura alfabetizada pastoral. El caso de Fiemme, en los Alpes del este (1680–1940)” (La Paz, 2012).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bazzanella, M., Bernabei, M., Bontadi, J., Belli, R., Kezich, G., Toniutti, L., & Wierer, U. (2012). Le scritte dei pastori delle Pizancae in Val di Fiemme (Trentino): Verso un’ipotesi interpretativa del graffitismo pastorale alpino (Atti XXXIV Riunione Scientifica I.I.P.P.). Preistoria Alpina, 46(I), 329–339.
Bazzanella, M., Kezich, G., & Pisoni L. (2013). Shepherds’ writings and shepherds’ life on Monte Cornón (Valle di Fiemme, Trentino): An ethnoarchaeological perspective. In F. Lugli, A. Stoppiello, & S. Biagetti (Eds.), Ethnoarchaeology: Current research and field methods, Conference Proceedings, Rome, Italy, 13th–14th May 2010 (BAR International Series, Vol. 2472, pp. 174–180). Oxford: Archaeopress.
Bazzanella, M., Kezich, G., & Pisoni, L. (2014). Adio pastori! Ethics and aesthetics of an alphabetized pastoral subculture. The case of Fiemme in the Eastern Alps (1680–1940). Adio pastori! La ética y la estética de una subcultura alfabetizada pastoral. El caso de Fiemme, en los Alpes del este (1680–1940). Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino.
Bazzanella, M., Pisoni, L., & Toniutti L. (2013). Montagne dipinte: Le scritte dei pastori fiemmesi tra etnoarcheologia e studi di cultura materiale. Archeologia Postmedievale 17, 357-367.
Bazzanella, M., & Wierer, U. (2013). The shelters Mandra di Dos Capel and Trato and the beginning of pastoralism in Fiemme Valley. In F. Lugli, A. Stoppiello, & S. Biagetti (Eds.), Ethnoarchaeology: Current research and field methods, Conference Proceedings, Rome, Italy, 13th–14th May 2010 (BAR International Series, Vol. 2472, pp. 181–186). Oxford: Archaeopress.
Vanzetta, G. (1991). Le scritte delle Pizancàe e la “cava del ból”. Calliano: Manfrini.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bazzanella, M., Kezich, G., Pisoni, L. (2016). The Pastoral Writings of the Fiemme Valley (1650–1950): Lapidary vs. Extemporaneous Expressions. In: Biagetti, S., Lugli, F. (eds) The Intangible Elements of Culture in Ethnoarchaeological Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23153-2_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23153-2_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-23152-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-23153-2
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)