研究人員在羅馬庇護所中發現

幾十年來，研究人員一直在探索西班牙東部的Cova de les Dones，研究其古石器時代的岩石藝術以及與早期伊比利亞社區的聯繫。

Researchers have been exploring Spain's Cova de les Dones for decades, studying its Paleolithic rock art and connections to early Iberian communities. But a recent expedition by researchers from two Spanish universities made a surprising discovery: a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman coin from the reign of Emperor Claudius hidden in the cave's ceiling, and 15 Roman inscriptions in its interior chamber, suggesting it once served as a Roman sanctuary during the first century C.E.

研究人員數十年來一直在探索西班牙的Cova de Les Dones，研究了其舊石器時代的岩石藝術以及與早期伊比利亞社區的聯繫。但是，來自西班牙兩所大學的研究人員最近進行的一場探險是一個令人驚訝的發現：來自皇帝克勞迪烏斯（Claudius）統治的近2,000年曆史的羅馬硬幣，隱藏在洞穴的天花板上，在其室內房間裡有15個羅馬銘文公元一世紀的羅馬庇護所

Researchers from the University of Alicante and the University of Zaragoza recently explored the Cova de les Dones in Spain’s Valencia region, initially seeking to expand upon previous studies of the cave’s interior. However, their mission took an unexpected turn when they uncovered an artifact from the Roman era.

阿利坎特大學（Alicante）和扎拉戈薩大學（University of Zaragoza）的研究人員最近探索了西班牙瓦倫西亞地區的Cova de Les Dones，最初試圖擴展對洞穴內部的先前研究。但是，當他們從羅馬時代揭示了一個工件時，他們的任務發生了出乎意料的轉變。

Tucked away in one of the cave’s interior chambers, roughly 650 feet from the entrance, a Roman coin was found lodged between a fissure and a stalactite on the ceiling.

藏在一個洞穴的一個內部室之一，距離入口約650英尺，發現羅馬硬幣在天花板上的裂縫和一個鐘乳石之間藏起來。

The coin, rusty and green with age, dates back to Emperor Claudius’ reign — nearly 2,000 years ago.

隨著年齡的增長，硬幣，生鏽和綠色可以追溯到克勞迪烏斯皇帝的統治 - 將近2000年前。

This discovery has quickly opened up a new chapter in the cave’s history. Alongside its extensive Paleolithic history, it now has confirmed ties to the Roman Empire.

這一發現迅速開闢了洞穴歷史上的新篇章。除了廣闊的舊石器時代歷史外，它現在已經確認了與羅馬帝國的聯繫。

A press release from the University of Alicante explained:

Alicante大學的新聞稿解釋說：

“The new discovery is further evidence of the exceptional nature of the Cova de les Dones site. From its origins as the most important Palaeolithic cave complex in the eastern peninsula, through its status as a place of worship for Iberians and, from now on, Romans, ending with its documented explorations from the 18th century to the present day.”

“新發現進一步證明了Cova de Les Dones站點的特殊性質。從其起源於東部半島最重要的舊石器時代洞穴綜合體，通過其作為伊比利亞人的禮拜場所的地位，從現在開始，從18世紀到今天的探索結束。”

Upon further examination of the Cova de les Dones, researchers discovered evidence that the cave’s interior chamber served as a Roman sanctuary during the first century C.E., several centuries before the empire fell.

在對Cova de Les Dones進行進一步檢查後，研究人員發現了證據表明，該洞穴的內部房間在公元第一世紀擔任羅馬庇護所，這是帝國淪陷之前的幾個世紀。

“The Cova de les Dones was classified as an Iberian cave-sanctuary since the 1960s due to the dating of abundant materials from the Iron Age, mainly ceramics,” the press release explained. During the Roman conquest of Hispania, the cave was likely repurposed to serve the needs of the Roman population there.

新聞稿解釋說：“自1960年代以來，由於鐵器時代的大量材料（主要是陶瓷），Cova de les Dones自1960年代以來被歸類為伊比利亞洞穴 - 夏普。”在羅馬征服西班牙裔的期間，這個洞穴很可能被重新使用以滿足那裡的羅馬人口的需求。

Alongside the coin, 15 Roman inscriptions were discovered carved into the cave wall.

在硬幣旁邊，發現了15個羅馬銘文刻在洞穴牆上。

“The location of the inscriptions, more than 200 meters (656 feet) from the entrance, makes it one of the sites in the Iberian Peninsula with Roman inscriptions at the greatest depth,” the press release explained.

新聞稿解釋說：“距離入口超過200米（656英尺）的銘文位置使其成為伊比利亞半島中的地點之一，其中有羅馬銘文，最深度是羅馬銘文。”

Researchers are now working to translate the inscriptions and continue their exploration of the cave, only 20 percent of which has been surveyed as of now, searching for additional artifacts that may shed further light on its Roman history.

研究人員現在正在努力翻譯銘文並繼續探索洞穴，目前只對其中有20％進行了調查，尋找其他可能會進一步闡明其羅馬歷史的文物。

As the press researchers explained: “The Roman inscriptions are just beginning to be analyzed and there are still areas of the cave that have not been explored in detail, so the Cova may still be a source of surprises for archaeologists in the coming years.”

正如新聞界的研究人員所解釋的那樣：“羅馬銘文才剛剛開始分析，並且洞穴中仍然尚未詳細探討，因此COVA可能仍然是未來幾年考古學家的驚喜來源。”