The whole of Rock 18 is covered in engravings, but this central area holds the greatest concentration, where a number of characteristic forms known as 'huts' occur.

Some of these contain certain realistic features: a central post, a supporting plinth and a roof with projecting beams.

The huts, which are a feature typical of the Camunian area, have been interpreted in various ways: initially as images of real structures such as houses, warehouses (grain stores) and temples.   More recently it has been suggested that they are imaginary places, probably sacred and connected with the afterlife (with cinerary urns from Tuscany & Lazio providing a comparison).   

My own thoughts are that they represent real structures as they occur in village scenes with people and animals around them. The population had to occupy some sort of structures and no other types of dwelling occur on the corpus of engravings in Valcamonica.

Between the huts are warrior figures, goblets, animals, an inverted bird and an inscription.

Valcamonica, Seradina 2 - Rock 18

A small, unmarked rock just above 
Rock 29.  I noticed this deer carving, which is deeply incised and quite different in style to other depictions of deer in Valcamonica.  It is obviously relatively recent but a clear illustratration of the long persistence of the rock carving tradition in the valley, even up to modern times.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 29 (2)

Rock 12, the is the largest area of exposed bedrock at Seradina and, with its hundreds of carvings, constitutes an exceptional window on the world of the Iron Age Valcamonica tribes.

The wide surface is one of the most important and well-known in the whole of Valcamonica rock art and is marked by themes which make it unique in the context of the local Iron Age.

On this small section of Rock 12, a there is a row of relatively small armed warriors who, with their arms aloft, appear to be paying some sort of tribute to a much large, animated, human figure above, who is armed with a shield and long spear.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 12 (5)

Rock 12, the is the largest area of exposed bedrock at Seradina and, with its hundreds of carvings, constitutes an exceptional window on the world of the Iron Age Valcamonica tribes.

The wide surface is one of the most important and well-known in the whole of Valcamonica rock art and is marked by themes which make it unique in the context of the local Iron Age.

The bottom section of Rock 12 comprises warriors (including duels) and horsemen, but it is dominated by an unusual composition of several unarmed humans with their arms pointing downwards.  This is a gesture towards the Earth, unlike the 'praying men' who hold their arms up  as if addressing the sky.

a human figure  larger than the others is positioned in the centre of the composition, His power, which has nothing to do with weapons, is emphasosed by his large hands, large feet and clearly visible gender.  The exceptional elements indicate him as a possible deity, shaman or ancestor-spirit (early Iron Age).

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 12 (2)

Rock 12, the is the largest area of exposed bedrock at Seradina and, with its hundreds of carvings, constitutes an exceptional window on the world of the Iron Age Valcamonica tribes.

The wide surface is one of the most important and well-known in the whole of Valcamonica rock art and is marked by themes which make it unique in the context of the local Iron Age.

The six ploughing scenes identified on this rock can be interpreted as an Iron Age revival of a theme already present two thousand years before.  Here, yoked horses are depicted. replacing the previous oxen of Neolithic and Bronze Age carvings.  

The plough teams are almost always led by someone with a hoe and sometimes followed by erotic scenes.  The symbolic value of this kind of representation is associated with fertility and fertility rites.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 12 (1)

The sub-area of Seradina 3 is located over the rocky slope that connects Seradina to Bedolina.  It includes more than 60 rock art  panels whose figurative themes cover a time span of more than 5000 years.  The majority of rock art is found in dangerous spots, sometimes on overhanging spurs or in hidden corners of the territory.  this rock is on the short route of the rock in the lowest part of the area.

Rock 9 is in an accessible, lower area. It is crossed by a deep glacial groove and is richly carved with fighting warriors, animals and circles.

Valcamonica, Seradina 3 - Rock 9 (1)

Rock 25 is situated nearly at the centre of the area and is dominated in its central part by a group of striking warriors rushing against each other.  Near them, many smaller figures can be seen.  The stylistic aspect of these big human figures clearly distinguish them from all other anthropomorphic figures in the western valley side and is unique to this rock.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 25

A small rock with an isolated figure of a 'hut.' The hut figures are generally less common on the western side of the valley than the east (Naquane, Foppe di Nadro etc.) but there are nevertheless many such depiction here in Seradina and close by in Bedolina.

The huts, which are a feature typical of the Camunian area, have been interpreted in various ways: initially as images of real structures such as houses, warehouses (grain stores) and temples. 

Some of these contain certain realistic features: a central post, a supporting plinth and a roof with projecting beams.

More recently it has been suggested that they are imaginary places, probably sacred and connected with the afterlife (with cinerary urns from Tuscany & Lazio providing a comparison).   

My own thoughts are that they represent real structures as they occur in village scenes with people and animals around them. The population had to occupy some sort of structures and no other types of dwelling occur on the corpus of engravings in Valcamonica.

Valcamonica, Seradina 2 - Rock 17

A small surface revealing armed figures mixed with animals that in some cases appear to be shot with spears or arrows.  In particular, there is a small scene in which a running quadraped (ibex, chamois?) is pursued by a second animal ready to attack.  Many human figures are left incomplete.

Valcamonic, Seradina 1 - Rock 54

Rock 28 occupies a panoramic position on a small promontory, overlooking the town of Capo di Ponte and, beyond this, southwards down Val Camonica.  The rock is primarily notable for its depiction of two daggers of a very specific type, which are dateable.  But these figures are the the most obvious visible carvings.  There is a row of square-bodied figures with their arms raised, possibly holding weapons.  Towards the right hand side these superimpose several other carvings, including two buildings of differing sizes.

Valcamonica, Seradina 2 - Rock 28 (1)

Rock 12, the is the largest area of exposed bedrock at Seradina and, with its hundreds of carvings, constitutes an exceptional window on the world of the Iron Age Valcamonica tribes.

The wide surface is one of the most important and well-known in the whole of Valcamonica rock art and is marked by themes which make it unique in the context of the local Iron Age.

The central part of the rock is occupied by the imposing scene of a procession of spear-holding horsemen hunting deer and followed by dogs.  The dogs are unusually represented with their jaws wide open and tongue clearly visible.  The hunting horsement theme is not uncommon in the rock art areas of middle Valcamonica and may probably underline the aristocratic status of the carved figures.  Their high social status and wealth is illustrated by their possession of a horse, which constituted a rare and precious commodity in prehistoric times.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 12 (4)

A rock characterised by deep glacial shaping and small carved panels.  The most interesting scene comprises two pairs of warriors fighting with large, rectangular shileds and spears. Their outlines are very boldly carved, with thick,deeply pecked lines delineating the figures so that the carvings are very clear and prominent.

The weapons, the style and the nearby presence of inscriptions suggest a dating to the Late Iron Age (third to first century BC).

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 10

Rock 57 is close to the back cliff and in a more elevated position than the surrounding context. The carved surface has been deeply shaped by glacial action and faces its main side towards the wall behind it.  A large petrograph spreads throughout the entire rock, nearly occupying the entire space. The dominant element is a large grid with smaller cup-marks in each square.  The carving is enclosed by a perimeter line. 

In its middle-upper part, in a small basin, the figure shows sub-oval and rectangular elements filled with ordered cup-marks.  This type of large grid pattern is very similar to another rock at nearby Pia d-Ort (Rock 39) but, although resembling a map, is quite different from the Bedolina maps on the plateau directly above, at the top of the back cliff.

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 57

The sub-area of Seradina 3 is located over the rocky slope that connects Seradina to Bedolina.  It includes more than 60 rock art  panels whose figurative themes cover a time span of more than 5000 years.  The majority of rock art is found in dangerous spots, sometimes on overhanging spurs or in hidden corners of the territory.  this rock is on the short route of the rock in the lowest part of the area.

Rock 9 is in an accessible, lower area. It is crossed by a deep glacial groove and is richly carved with fighting warriors, animals and circles.  ​Here, in the upper left hand corner of the rock there is an unusual complex, abstract grid design.

Valcamonica, Seradina 3 - Rock 9 (2)

Rock 12, the is the largest area of exposed bedrock at Seradina and, with its hundreds of carvings, constitutes an exceptional window on the world of the Iron Age Valcamonica tribes.

The wide surface is one of the most important and well-known in the whole of Valcamonica rock art and is marked by themes which make it unique in the context of the local Iron Age.

The bottom section of Rock 12 comprises warriors (including duels) and horsemen, but it is dominated by an unusual composition of several unarmed humans with their arms pointing downwards.  This is a gesture towards the Earth, unlike the 'praying men' who hold their arms up  as if addressing the sky.

A human figure  larger than the others is positioned in the centre of the composition, His power, which has nothing to do with weapons, is emphasosed by his large hands, large feet and clearly visible gender.  The exceptional elements indicate him as a possible deity, shaman or ancestor-spirit (early Iron Age).

Valcamonica, Seradina 1 - Rock 12 (3)

The motifs depicted on this small surface form a compelling anticipation of what will come on the subsequent Red Route through this section of the Seradina park - in particular the huge Rock 12.

There is a ploughing scence with harnessed horses, preceded by a duel between two warriors with swords & round shields. These are surrounded by human and animal figures.

Among the animals, that are insome cases accompanied by their young, the most prestigious prey of aristocratic hunting in the Iron Age was the deer, which stand out on the carvings in this area.

Isolated human figures with large hands or arms pointing downwards evoke the presence of individuals of non-warrior rank (shamans?), certainly non-combatants.

Valcamonica, Seradina 2 - Rock 6

This rock is in a small, boggy area with a number of small pools within basins in the rock surface created by the same glacial action that has smoothed the rock surface.

The engraved area is characterised by the isolated figure of a hut and of an inscription in the local pre-Roman alphabet.  These two elements, placed at the same height frame several figures: armed humans, sometimes in sigle combat, horsemen,horses, a bird, unidentifiable signs.  Noteworthy due to its rarity in Valcamonica art, is the duel between a horseman and a foot warrior armed with a large shield with a central boss (top centre).

The inscription, whose letters derive from the north-Etruscan alphabet, can be dated to between the fifth & first century BC.  The numerous human figures, partially overlapping, show examples of various Iron Age stylistic variations - accurate, Etruscan influenced figures from the VI to V century BC, to schematic, square-bodied figures with a fairly rigid posture from the final phases of the Iron Age.

Valcamonica, Seradina 2 - Rock 21

A panel only discovered fairly recently (2016), just adjacent to the path.  This bears an exceptional sequence of daggers with elongated, triangular blades and round pommel.  This type of weapon can be dated to the initial phases of the Bronze Age.

Sets of weapons (daggers and axes) are a typical subject of the Early and Middle Bronze Age but are seldom depicted in the western areas of central Valcamonica.  Currently in the Seradina-Bedolina Archaeolical Park, similar panels are known only at Seradina 2 Rock 36 and Seradina 3 Rock 28.  In the latter case the daggers dated back to the Copper Age of the third millennium BC.

The series, clearly symbolic, recalls the contemporary phenomenon of placing weapons and bronze objects in water courses, ponds and on mountains.

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