Deep Inside a Spanish Cave, Roman Women May Have Worshipped a Mysterious Goddess
Best known for its Paleolithic art, Valencia’s Cova de les Dones also contains a Roman sanctuary where researchers say women appear to have played an active role in the worship of a female deity
The Cova de les Dones cave in Spain has captivated archaeologists for decades, revealing a rich tapestry of human activity dating back thousands of years. Initially identified as an Iberian cave sanctuary in the 1960s and later discovered to contain Paleolithic art from over 24,000 years ago, recent investigations have uncovered evidence of Roman worship within the cave.
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers found a first-century Roman coin and at least 15 inscriptions, marking the largest concentration of Latin inscriptions in a Roman cave sanctuary. Among these inscriptions, five refer to a goddess called Domina, or "the Lady," and one contains the term MALACI, an unfamiliar designation for a goddess.
The presence of female names in the inscriptions and artifacts such as jewelry, chalice-shaped vessels, and spindle whorls suggest women played a significant role in the sanctuary's worship.
The chamber where the inscriptions are found is located more than 650 feet from the cave entrance, indicating it was a designated space for organized cult activities. This suggests women actively participated in Roman religious life, serving as worshippers, dedicants, and potentially priestesses. The cave, located near Millares in Valencia, is named "Cova de les Dones," or "Cave of the Women," possibly preserving an ancient reference to the presence of women or female entities at the site.
Written by urgent.news from Smithsonian's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
