THE ROCK FIGURES OF THE MARITIME ALPS. 
113 
the Carthaginians. These M. Elis^e Recluse, in 1864, pointed out 
to be nothing more than the result of erosion and glacial action ; 
but a glance at copies of the figures will shew how very far from 
the truth M. Recluse's dictum was. 
In 1868, Mr. M. Moggridge encamped in the Miniera Valley with 
the intention of taking rubbings or casts, but the weather being 
stormy he could only make pencil drawings. He read a paper at 
the International Prehistoric Congress at Norwich, which was 
published with 120 figures. Mr. Moggridge thought that the 
figures might be hieroglyphics placed together to form words. 
In 1877, M-. Emil Riviere, sent by the French Government to 
study the region, encamped for twelve days in the Vallone delle 
Meraviglie. He made drawings or squeezes of 408 figures, of 
which 50 were published. 
In 1878, M. Edmond Blanc, of Nice, saw some of the figures, and 
suggested that "they were cut by a superstitious people who 
adored a terrible divinity supposed to reside in the Val d'Inferno, 
or upon Monte Bego " ; but in 1884, Signor S. Navello states his 
belief that the figures were made by shepherds in their hours of 
repose, and ridicules M. Blanc's suggestion. 
In 1885 we first hear of the Val Fontanalba, when Prof. Celesia, 
of Genoa, endeavoured to explore this region, but was driven back 
by bad weather. From the description of friends who had been 
there, the sound of the thunder, and the sight of the swollen 
river, he described the Val d'Inferno as a place of indescribable 
horror. He then thought of visiting Val Fontanalba, which was 
apparently known only to the shepherds. He was guided to some 
of the figures by two goatherds, and a good many fair drawings 
were made and published, together with a paper. These Prof. 
Celesia considered to represent " heads of ruminants, snails, 
serpents, skins of beasts, nets, primaeval implements 
figures of men in strange attitudes." 
In June, 1881, Mr. Bicknell visited the Meraviglie, but the rocks 
were so covered with snow that he saw very few figures. In 
September, 1885, he again went there, and was able to make about 
50 sketches. But in 1897 he commenced spending the summers in 
Val Casterino, and it was then that he heard of the figures which 
were near at hand in Val Fontanalba. Here, in several excursions, 
he made 450 small drawings, and then, in thirteen days, 211 
rubbings. Some photographs were taken, some of which are 
reproduced in his book. Unfortunately, no cameras are now 
allowed in the district, on account of the numerous forts and 
batteries with which the surrounding hills are guarded. 
In 1898, 538 rubbings were made and 100 photographs taken. 
Two detached pieces of rock, each containing a horned figure, were 
found, and one of these was sent to the British Museum. 
In 1901 figures were found in Val Valauretta which had never 
been seen before, except by the shepherds. In this year also rocks 
in Val Fontanalba, from which the coloured surface had worn off, 
were found to contain numberless figures. These were still visible, 
but not so distinct as on the coloured rocks. 
