A Roman cave sanctuary in eastern Spain has yielded more than 120 Latin inscriptions, including five linked to a previously unknown goddess called “the Lady.”
Archaeologists recorded the inscriptions during a 2026 campaign at Cova de les Dones, near Millares in Valencia. Most date from the first and second centuries CE. The new finds raise the known number of Latin texts at the site from about 15 to at least 120.
The inscriptions sit on the walls and ceilings of a chamber more than 200 meters underground. Researchers call the space the Roman Sanctuary. Their location and tight grouping point to a planned place of worship rather than a cave used for occasional religious visits.
Five votive inscriptions refer to a goddess addressed as Domina, meaning “the Lady.” Three also contain the word “MALACI,” an unknown title or name linked to the goddess. Researchers are still working on its exact reading and meaning. The title might relate to water, an important feature of the underground setting.
The texts also offer clues about women who took part in the sanctuary’s rituals. Several inscriptions contain female names. Archaeologists also found many spindle whorls, small tools used in textile work. Such objects often had links with women in Roman society and could have served as offerings.
The cave’s name, Cova de les Dones, means Cave of the Women. The name adds context to the new evidence.
Water likely played a role in the rituals. Small natural pools on the cave floor hold water from underground passages. Visitors placed objects in these pools, along with other offerings. The 2026 work also recorded two rings, a bracelet, cup-shaped vessels, spindle whorls, pottery fragments and animal remains. A Roman coin found in 2024 adds to the group.
The mix of inscriptions and objects gives archaeologists a rare chance to study an underground sanctuary in its original setting. The finds offer clues about where visitors left offerings and where worship took place.
Cova de les Dones has a much older history. In 2023, research showed the cave held more than 100 Paleolithic paintings and engravings made more than 24,000 years ago. The site became one of the largest known Paleolithic rock art groups in eastern Iberia.
A year later, archaeologists identified the Roman sanctuary deep inside the cave. The first 15 Latin inscriptions and a coin linked to Emperor Claudius showed continued ritual use long after the Paleolithic art was made.
Work in 2025 added another layer. Researchers found more than 100 speleofacts, or stalagmite formations altered by people. Researchers linked the finds to deliberate changes made during prehistory.
The 2026 campaign now places the Roman inscriptions at the center of the site’s story. With at least 120 texts, Cova de les Dones has the largest known group of Latin inscriptions from a cave sanctuary in the Roman Empire, according to the research team.
Many inscriptions still need close study, and much of the cave has yet to receive a full survey. Future work will focus on reading the remaining texts and linking them with nearby objects.
Conservation work will also improve cave access, add a digital twin and catalog the Paleolithic images. Further campaigns should help define the role of the sanctuary and the goddess called “the Lady,” while showing how people used Cova de les Dones across different periods.