A team of researchers from the universities of Alicante (UA) and Zaragoza (Unizar) has identified a Roman sanctuary in the Cova de les Dones, located in the municipality of Millares, in the province of Valencia (Spain). This discovery, of great significance for understanding the Roman presence in the Iberian Peninsula, is situated in a deep chamber of the cave, more than 200 meters from the entrance, where around fifteen Roman inscriptions have been documented along with a coin dating back to the time of Emperor Claudius. This numismatic piece, found in a crack in the ceiling next to a stalactite, suggests that the site may have been used for ritual purposes during the 1st century AD.
This important discovery adds to the one revealed in 2023, when a study published in the prestigious British journal Antiquity reported the existence of more than a hundred rock art motifs in the cave. According to experts, the diversity of techniques used and the number of representations make Cova de les Dones the most significant Paleolithic site on the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The new finding further reinforces the uniqueness of the site, which has emerged as an archaeological testimony of great value, with evidence of its use from prehistory to the Roman era. From its earliest manifestations as a rock sanctuary in the Paleolithic, through its reuse in Iberian times, to the recent confirmation of its importance in Roman culture, the cave has retained its sacred character for millennia. Moreover, the first documented explorations of the site date back to the 18th century, underscoring the continued interest in this unique location.
Until now, Cova de les Dones had been classified as an Iberian sanctuary since the 1960s due to the abundance of Iron Age ceramic materials. However, archaeological evidence confirming its use during the Roman period had been scarce until now.
The discovery of epigraphic inscriptions in such a deep area of the cave provides solid proof that the sanctuary remained in use or was repurposed by the Romans, expanding knowledge about the persistence of cults in this sacred space.
The location of the inscriptions makes it one of the deepest sites with Roman inscriptions documented in the Iberian Peninsula, surpassed only by Cueva del Puente in Junta de Villalba de Losa and possibly by Cueva de Román de Clunia, both in the province of Burgos.
Despite the progress made, work at Cova de les Dones is still in its early stages. So far, only 20% of the area with Paleolithic decorations has been analyzed in detail, and the Roman inscriptions are still under study. Additionally, some areas of the cave remain unexplored in depth, suggesting that it may still hold new surprises for archaeologists in the coming years.
The archaeological study at Cova de les Dones is part of the DONARQ project, which aims to analyze this rock sanctuary within its historical context. The research is led by Virginia Barciela González, a professor of Prehistory at the University of Alicante and a member of the University Institute for Research in Archaeology and Historical Heritage (INAPH); Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, a professor of Prehistory at the University of Zaragoza and an associate researcher at the universities of Southampton and Bordeaux; and Ximo Martorell Briz, an archaeologist from the Territorial Department of Culture of Valencia and an honorary collaborator in the Prehistory Department of UA.
The epigraphic analysis is being conducted in collaboration with Víctor Sabaté Vidal, an epigraphy specialist and professor of Archaeology at the University of Valencia, as well as Javier Velaza Frías, a professor of Latin Philology at the University of Barcelona and director of the LITTERA research team.
Furthermore, the recovery and extraction of the Roman coin have been carried out by Trinidad Pasíes Oviedo, head of the restoration department of the Museum of Prehistory of Valencia, and Carles Ferrer, curator of the same institution.
The discovery of the Roman sanctuary in the Cova de les Dones marks a milestone in archaeological research in the Valencian Community. Not only does it confirm the continuity of the site’s ritual use throughout different historical periods, but it also opens new lines of study on the interaction between Iberian and Roman cultures in the region.
As research progresses, new revelations are expected to provide a deeper understanding of the symbolic and religious significance of this underground sanctuary. With each new exploration, Cova de les Dones continues to prove itself as an invaluable archaeological site, bearing witness to a history spanning tens of thousands of years and still holding much to reveal.
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