Deep inside a cave in eastern Spain, archaeologists have uncovered one of the largest collections of Roman cave inscriptions ever found. Hidden more than 200 metres from the entrance of Cova Dones near Millares, Valencia, the inscriptions reveal that the underground chamber was not simply a place of worship; it was a sanctuary where women played a central role in rituals dedicated to a mysterious goddess whose name has been lost for nearly two millennia.During excavations in May and June 2026, researchers documented at least 120 Latin inscriptions, a dramatic increase from the roughly 15 previously known. The discovery has transformed Cova Dones into what may be the Roman cave sanctuary with the highest number of Latin inscriptions in Hispania, and possibly across the entire Roman Empire. The findings were led by Virginia Barciela of the University of Alicante and Aitor Ruiz-Redondo of the University of Zaragoza, and were first reported by La Brújula Verde, based on the universities’ announcement.
Why the 120 newly discovered Roman inscriptions make Cova Dones unique in the Roman Empire
Until this year’s archaeological campaign, only around 15 Latin inscriptions had been identified inside Cova Dones.The latest fieldwork increased that number to at least 120, making the cave one of the richest repositories of Roman cave inscriptions ever discovered. Most of the graffiti have been dated to the first and second centuries A.D., when the Roman Empire controlled the Iberian Peninsula.According to the research team, the sheer number of inscriptions could make Cova Dones the cave sanctuary with the greatest concentration of Latin inscriptions known anywhere in Hispania and possibly throughout the Roman world. The inscriptions were carved across the walls and ceiling of a secluded chamber located deep inside the cave, indicating that the site remained an important place of worship over multiple generations.
How archaeologists discovered that women were at the centre of rituals inside Cova Dones
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the discovery is what the inscriptions reveal about the people who visited the cave.Many of the newly documented texts contain female names, leading researchers to conclude that women were frequent visitors and active participants in the sanctuary’s ritual life. Rather than serving merely as spectators, they appear to have played a leading role in ceremonies conducted within the underground chamber.Epigraphic specialists Silvia Alfayé of the University of Zaragoza and Sergio García-Dils of UNED-Seville analysed the inscriptions and found compelling evidence that women dedicated prayers, left offerings and invoked a female deity inside the cave.This makes Cova Dones one of the clearest archaeological examples of women occupying a central role in Roman religious practices within a natural cave sanctuary.
Who was the mysterious goddess ‘Domina’ and why the name ‘MALACI’ has puzzled archaeologists
Five of the newly deciphered inscriptions invoke a goddess using the title “Domina”, meaning “the Lady.”Even more intriguing, three of these inscriptions also contain the word “MALACI.” Researchers believe this is not a personal name left by a worshipper but rather an unknown epithet, or possibly the name, of the goddess herself.According to Silvia Alfayé, the title appears to refer to a previously undocumented goddess, whose specific role is still being investigated. Preliminary interpretations suggest that this particular manifestation of the deity may have been associated with water, although researchers emphasise that work on the inscriptions is still ongoing and no definitive conclusion has yet been reached.If confirmed, MALACI would represent a goddess previously unknown from Roman religious history, preserved only through these cave inscriptions.
Why spindle whorls, jewellery and natural pools played an important role in Roman cave rituals
The inscriptions are only one part of the sanctuary’s story. Archaeologists have also recovered a remarkable collection of ritual offerings left by worshippers inside the cave. These include bronze rings, bracelets, chalice-shaped vessels, ceramic fragments, faunal remains and numerous spindle whorls, small circular weights used in spinning thread.Several spindle whorls were deliberately deposited in natural pools of water on the cave floor rather than discarded randomly, strongly suggesting they formed part of ritual offerings.Because spinning and textile production were traditionally associated with women in Roman society, researchers believe these objects reinforce the evidence that female worshippers carried out ceremonies inside the sanctuary over an extended period.
How a cave famous for Ice Age art became a sacred Roman sanctuary thousands of years later
Cova Dones was already internationally significant before the Roman inscriptions were discovered. In recent years, archaeologists identified it as home to the largest known collection of Palaeolithic cave art in eastern Iberia, with paintings and engravings dating back around 24,000 years.The Roman discoveries demonstrate that the cave continued to hold spiritual importance tens of thousands of years later.Previous excavations had already revealed a Roman sanctuary hidden more than 200 metres underground, along with a coin dating to the reign of Emperor Claudius. The newly discovered inscriptions now confirm that the sanctuary remained an active place of worship during the first and second centuries A.D., adding another remarkable chapter to the cave’s long history of human occupation.
Why the discoveries inside Cova Dones are changing what historians know about Roman religion
Roman religion is often associated with monumental temples, imperial ceremonies and state-sponsored cults. The discoveries inside Cova Dones paint a far more intimate picture.Hidden deep underground, far from cities and public spaces, women travelled into the cave to carve prayers, invoke a mysterious goddess and leave personal offerings in water-filled chambers. Their inscriptions preserve rare evidence of female religious agency that is seldom visible in the archaeological record.With much of the cave still awaiting detailed study and many inscriptions yet to be fully deciphered, researchers believe Cova Dones may continue to reveal new insights into Roman spirituality, local religious traditions and the lives of women in ancient Hispania. As La Brújula Verde reports, conservation work, digital documentation and further archaeological campaigns are already planned, meaning the story of this extraordinary sanctuary is only beginning to emerge.
