Cavers spot coin stuck between rock formations — and find ancient Roman site in Spain
Deep inside a partially flooded cave of eastern Spain, scientists studied the walls by flashlight. Some markings and a coin jammed between rock formations caught their attention — and for good reason.
The traces revealed the chamber was once an ancient Roman sanctuary.
A joint team of researchers from the University of Alicante and the University of Zaragoza ventured into the Cova de les Dones as part of an ongoing project, the universities said in Jan. 30 news releases. The cave had been known since the 1960s for its prehistoric artwork but had not been studied in depth until recently.
About 650 feet into the cave, researchers entered a partially flooded chamber. A photo shows the illuminated cavern, which looks relatively generic.
But, when the team looked closer at the ceiling, they noticed an ancient Roman coin tucked between some rock formations, the university said. A photo shows the rusty blue-green coin.
Researchers also found at least 15 Roman inscriptions on the cave’s walls. They didn’t provide translations, but one photo shows the faded and easily overlooked writing.
Based on these finds, the team identified the chamber as the site of an ancient Roman sanctuary used for ritual purposes about 1,900 years ago, the university said. Researchers described it as a surprising and novel finding because traces of Roman activity at the site were previously considered scarce.
Much about the ancient Roman sanctuary remains unknown, and research on the Cova de les Dones is ongoing.
The cave is near the town of Millares in eastern Spain and a roughly 220-mile drive southeast from Madrid.
Google Translate was used to translate the news releases from the University of Alicante and the University of Zaragoza.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Cavers spot coin stuck between rock formations — and find ancient Roman site in Spain."
