Spanish Cave Yields 110 Roman Inscriptions and Clues to a Female Deity

A cave in Valencia’s mountainous interior has revealed evidence of a Roman sanctuary where women may have played an important role in worshipping a female deity nearly 2,000 years ago. Researchers investigating Cova de les Dones, or “Cave of the Women,” have documented at least 110 Latin inscriptions on the walls and ceilings of a chamber more than 650 feet from the entrance. According to the researchers, it is the largest known concentration of Latin inscriptions in a Roman cave sanctuary. Five of the inscriptions are votive offerings dedicated to a goddess referred to as Domina, meaning “the Lady.” Three also contain the word MALACI, which researcher Silvia Alfayé Villa describes as a previously unknown designation for a goddess. Its exact meaning, and whether it was connected to the cave’s abundant water, remain under investigation. The inscriptions include several female names. Researchers also found jewelry, chalice-shaped vessels, ceramic fragments, animal bones and spindle whorls on the chamber’s surface. The spindle whorls may have been offerings connected with textile work, a possibility that fits the evidence for women’s participation in the sanctuary, according to archaeologist Virginia Barciela of the University of Alicante. The concentration of references to one deity in a defined chamber far from the entrance suggests that the area may have been used by an organized cult, researcher Sergio García-Dils said in a statement from the University of Alicante. The evidence does not establish the precise identity of the goddess or the specific rituals performed there. Cova de les Dones has produced evidence of human activity across thousands of years. Iron Age materials led archaeologists to classify it as an Iberian cave sanctuary, while later research identified Paleolithic paintings and drawings, including depictions of red deer, wild horses and oxen. Some of the artwork may be more than 24,000 years old. A Roman coin from the reign of Emperor Claudius and at least 15 inscriptions were reported at the site last year. The cave’s name was recorded in an 18th-century account, and researchers say it may preserve an ancient association with women or female entities—though that interpretation remains uncertain.