  Beyond redshift ~1.4 the only spectral feature that allows one to get the
redshift of passively evolving galaxies (PEG) with optical spectrographs is a
characteristic structure due to a set of iron and magnesium lines lines at
2600-2850 Angstrom in the rest frame. The same feature permits also to estimate
the time elapsed since the cessation of star formation. Current efforts at
observing high redshift PEGs at the VLT and SUBARU telescopes are briefly
reviewed.
