Archaeologists Find Roman Artefacts in Spain’s Cova De Les Dones Cave
Roman-era inscriptions and a coin have been discovered by archaeologists inside a partially flooded cave in Spain. The findings, estimated to be nearly 1,900 years old, suggest the site was used for ritual purposes. Researchers exploring the Cova de les Dones, located in eastern Spain, found a corroded Roman coin embedded in a fissure between the ceiling and a stalactite. Additionally, 15 inscriptions were identified, carved into the rock by inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman occupation. Experts believe these inscriptions and the placement of the coin indicate that the cave functioned as a sanctuary.
Discovery of Roman Artefacts in Cova de les Dones
As reported by Live Science, researchers exploring Cova de les Dones found a corroded Roman coin wedged between a crack in the ceiling and a stalactite. The coin, dated to the reign of Emperor Claudius between A.D. 41 and 54, was likely placed there as an offering. In addition to the coin, 15 inscriptions were found etched into the rock, believed to have been made during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. Their meanings remain unclear, but experts suggest they indicate the cave was regarded as a sanctuary.
Historical Significance of the Cave
Findings from previous excavations indicate human activity in the cave dates back thousands of years. Iron Age ceramics and prehistoric rock art, including depictions of an auroch and a stag, have been documented. A study published in 2023 recorded over 110 cave paintings, some believed to be more than 24,000 years old due to overlapping cave bear claw marks.
Expert Analysis on the Discoveries
In an interview with Levante, Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, a professor of prehistory at the University of Zaragoza, stated that the inscriptions and the coin confirm the cave’s continued use as a ritual site during the Roman period.
Further Exploration and Future Findings
The inscriptions are located approximately 200 metres from the cave’s entrance. Cova de les Dones consists of a single chamber extending 500 metres and opening onto a steep canyon. Large sections remain unexplored, with researchers anticipating further discoveries in the coming years. Reports indicate that only a fraction of the prehistoric artwork has been studied in detail so far, leaving room for new insights into the site’s extensive history.
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Asteroid Vesta, long considered a stalled protoplanet, may actually be a massive fragment of a larger world that once existed in our solar system. New findings based on gravity-field mapping and spin-rate data suggest Vesta lacks the dense core typically found in differentiated planetary bodies. The discovery challenges previous assumptions, drawn from NASA’s Dawn mission in 2012, that classified Vesta as an embryonic planet. Now, scientists report that Vesta might have been ejected from a differentiated world in a massive collision 4.5 billion years ago, upending ideas about the development of planets and asteroids.
New Gravity Data Suggests Vesta Is Debris from a Destroyed Planet, Not a Protoplanet
As per a new study published in Nature Astronomy on April 23, 2025, Vesta does not quite match the former model. Refined calibration methods polished the radio Doppler signals, confirming the absence of a metal-rich core, which was inconsistent with earlier work. Seth Jacobson of Michigan State University, who led the research, stated the new interpretation marks a major shift in planetary science. While Vesta’s basaltic, volcanic surface still indicates geological activity, its internal uniformity contradicts the expectations of a body that once underwent full differentiation.
This paradox has caused scientists to reconsider the asteroid’s heritage. One scenario is that Vesta started to differentiate but never got very far. But data from meteorites called howardite-eucrite-diogenites (HEDs), thought to have come from Vesta, show no signs of such incomplete differentiation. Jacobson and his team instead favour the explanation that Vesta was formed from material blasted off a fully developed planet during an ancient planetary collision, which could also illustrate its volcanic surface without requiring it to have a dense core.
The results not only question Vesta’s identity but also suggest a possibility of a more general theory: that other asteroids could also be pieces of shattered planets. NASA’s Psyche and ESA’s Hera missions, planned for the next decades, intend to do such gravity investigations, which could ultimately confirm this new view. Jacobson noted that Vesta’s composition could even hint at a shared origin with Earth or other early planets, a hypothesis that may reshape asteroid science entirely.
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