7/27/2019 Tyrolean Origins

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Our Origins«  When the glaciers receded and the Trentino geography was established, this very geography established ourhistory. The effect of the glaciers left in the Trentino inviting passages, corridors, portals that invited more andmore people tRFRPHJDWKHUDQGVWD\«7KH9DO'C$GLJHWKHYDOOH\RIWKH$GLJH5LYHU LVRQHVXFKYDOOH\RUcorridor flanked by mountains that was a natural passageway to and through the Trentino either from the

Southern plains or the Brenner pass, the lowest of the Alpine passes that served as a portal for the north. The Valsugana and the Lake of Garda were yet other convenient and inviting entrances for peoples who came orpassed through or stayed. The first inhabitants came up along the rivers from the south from Vallagarina and the

Lake of Garda and the southeast from the Val Sugana and the Brenta River. These people were the Veneto-Illyric, the Ligurians, the Gauls and the Iberians. All these groupsbelonged to the great family of Indo-Europeans which form the largest family of languagesin the world comprising most of the languages in India and South West of Asia. Theprincipal sub families are the Indo-Iranian, Armenian, Albanian, Balto-Slavic, Thracian,Phrigian, Ligurian, Illyrian, Messapian and Venetic. The Illyrians or the people of Illyria were bording the East Coast of the Adriatic while the Iberians were from theSouthwestern part of Europe comprising Spain, Portugal, and

modern day Georgia. The Ligurians were members of ancientpeople who inhabited northern and central Italy and the adjoining regions. The Galli or Gauls were yet another ancient people south west of the Rhine River, west of the Alps and north of the

Pyrannees i.e. modern day France and northern Italy, Cisalpine Gauls. All these

populations, excHSW IRU WKH &LPEUL IRUPHG D PHOWLQJ SRW FDOOHG WKH 5KDHWLFV«7Kisnomenclature became our very first true identity so that the Trentino region was calledRaetia in the third century. The first settlers, the Ligurians and the Iberians, lived on pilesabove Alpine lakes as did the lake dwellers of the Bronze Age (2000-1200 BC). These early settlers left behind many remnants, including large canoes carved from blocks of pine;

pieces in stone, horns, bones, wood and granules of amber; pins, axes, and daggers. Theseobjects give us some idea of their burial rites, customs and agricultural practices. TheGauls-Cenomani from the Valsugana took possession of the Doss Trento and together with other people formed the nucleus of Trento on the left back of the river Adige.

 The archeological history of the Trentino region gives us an idea of the physical, social and cultural developmentof these people as well as their geographic distribution, customs beliefs and folkways.

 At the beginning of the first century BC, the Cimbri poured down from the north of central Europe through the Brenner Pass. They were defeated by the Romans but

stayed and integrated further with our origins. It should be noted that we have aremnant of the oldest mummies in Europe and the best preserved mummies in the world:RXOG\RXEHOLHYHLW«KHZDVun de nossi«RQHRIRXUV«DQDQFLHQW7UHQWLQRfound in the Ortzal Alps and now resting in the museum in Bolzano. He lived 5000years ago. He was found in a glacier and his clothes and artifacts are providing yetfurther clues of our origins. They call him Otzi  since in was found in the Trentino Alps of Otzal.

It should be noted that our real history has given us an identity of being MiddleEuropeans rather than Mediterranean since we have more commonalties with themountain people of Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol. We will continue exploring our

origins in future editions.

Paleofitti of Fiavè

Bronze receptacle 4-5 BC

Otzi

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