Archaeologists in eastern Spain have uncovered new evidence that women played a central and active role in the worship of a goddess at an underground sanctuary, according to results from the latest dig season at Cova Dones cave in Millares, near Valencia.
The excavation, carried out in May and June, uncovered at least 120 Latin inscriptions inside the cave, up from roughly fifteen known prior to this year. Researchers report that this could make Cova Dones the cave sanctuary with the most Latin inscriptions found anywhere in the former Roman Empire, including ancient Hispania.
The dig was led by Virginia Barciela of the University of Alicante and Aitor Ruiz-Redondo of the University of Zaragoza. Most inscriptions date to the first and second centuries AD. Several female names appear among them, which researchers say points to women regularly visiting the cave for religious purposes.
Newly uncovered inscriptions reveal goddess Domina and her cult
Five votive inscriptions confirm that Romans worshipped a goddess there known reverently as “Domina,” meaning “the Lady.” Three of those inscriptions include the word “MALACI,” a title for the goddess that had never been recorded previously.
Silvia Alfayé, a historian at the University of Zaragoza who studied the texts, said the title may be linked to water, although the exact meaning has not yet been confirmed. Furthermore, according to Sergio García-Dils, a professor at UNED Seville who also worked on the readings, five inscriptions dedicated to a sole goddess show this was not a place of scattered, general visits.
Instead, he revealed, it points to an organized cult devoted to a single deity, especially since the texts are grouped in one particular section of the cave, away from the entrance.
Women’s offerings link female worship to sanctuary’s goddess
Barciela said the team also found many spindle whorls in the chamber, tools tied to textile work traditionally linked to women in ancient times. That finding matches up with inscriptions showing that women took an active part in the goddess’s worship at the sanctuary. She added that the cave’s older name, “Cova de les Dones,” or “Cave of the Women,” may itself preserve a memory of that female presence.
The inscriptions were detected in a chamber researchers refer to as the “Roman Sanctuary,” more than 200 meters (656 feet) underground and first identified in 2024. Visitors left offerings at small natural pools. This year’s dig also turned up two bronze rings, a bracelet, cups, pottery pieces, and animal remains, adding to a Roman coin found at the site in 2024. Ruiz-Redondo said finding artifacts and inscriptions together in one spot is rare and gives researchers an unusual opportunity to study the site’s rituals over time.
Cave’s broader history spans Paleolithic art to Roman rituals
The cave initially drew widespread attention in 2023, when a study reported over one hundred Paleolithic paintings and engravings over 24,000 years old, the largest such find in eastern Spain. The Roman sanctuary came to light in 2024, while in 2025, researchers found more than one hundred modified stalagmites, placing Cova Dones second worldwide in that category, behind a cave in France.
Work will continue in the coming years, alongside plans for improved cave access, safety upgrades, and a digital twin that will allow the public to take virtual tours of the site.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
