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 EmpireUntil 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.
