It was at the end of the glacial period some 11,000 years ago when the frosted crust covering the Dolomites started to melt, leading the glaciers to retreat. Various plants and animals penetrated into even the highest mountain regions, followed by the hunters of the Stone Age period.

After this first form of economic exploitation of the Dolomites, there were innumerable other strenuous phases of settlement. Hundreds of generations worked hard clearing woodland and opening up the territory in order to create a network of roads and settlements. Fortified hamlets, cultural sites at high altitude and cross-regional trade bear witness to the first organised settlement systems.