研究人员在罗马庇护所中发现

几十年来，研究人员一直在探索西班牙东部的Cova de les Dones，研究其古石器时代的岩石艺术以及与早期伊比利亚社区的联系。

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.

研究人员数十年来一直在探索西班牙的Cova de Les Dones，研究了其旧石器时代的岩石艺术以及与早期伊比利亚社区的联系。但是，来自西班牙两所大学的研究人员最近进行的一场探险是一个令人惊讶的发现：来自皇帝克劳迪乌斯（Claudius）统治的近2,000年历史的罗马硬币，隐藏在洞穴的天花板上，在其室内房间里有15个罗马铭文公元一世纪的罗马庇护所

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.

阿利坎特大学（Alicante）和扎拉戈萨大学（University of Zaragoza）的研究人员最近探索了西班牙瓦伦西亚地区的Cova de Les Dones，最初试图扩展对洞穴内部的先前研究。但是，当他们从罗马时代揭示了一个工件时，他们的任务发生了出乎意料的转变。

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.

藏在一个洞穴的一个内部室之一，距离入口约650英尺，发现罗马硬币在天花板上的裂缝和一个钟乳石之间藏起来。

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

随着年龄的增长，硬币，生锈和绿色可以追溯到克劳迪乌斯皇帝的统治 - 将近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.

这一发现迅速开辟了洞穴历史上的新篇章。除了广阔的旧石器时代历史外，它现在已经确认了与罗马帝国的联系。

A press release from the University of Alicante explained:

Alicante大学的新闻稿解释说：

“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.”

“新发现进一步证明了Cova de Les Dones站点的特殊性质。从其起源于东部半岛最重要的旧石器时代洞穴综合体，通过其作为伊比利亚人的礼拜场所的地位，从现在开始，从18世纪到今天的探索结束。”

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.

在对Cova de Les Dones进行进一步检查后，研究人员发现了证据表明，该洞穴的内部房间在公元第一世纪担任罗马庇护所，这是帝国沦陷之前的几个世纪。

“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.

新闻稿解释说：“自1960年代以来，由于铁器时代的大量材料（主要是陶瓷），Cova de les Dones自1960年代以来被归类为伊比利亚洞穴 - 夏普。”在罗马征服西班牙裔的期间，这个洞穴很可能被重新使用以满足那里的罗马人口的需求。

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

在硬币旁边，发现了15个罗马铭文刻在洞穴墙上。

“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.

新闻稿解释说：“距离入口超过200米（656英尺）的铭文位置使其成为伊比利亚半岛中的地点之一，其中有罗马铭文，最深度是罗马铭文。”

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.

研究人员现在正在努力翻译铭文并继续探索洞穴，目前只对其中有20％进行了调查，寻找其他可能会进一步阐明其罗马历史的文物。

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.”

正如新闻界的研究人员所解释的那样：“罗马铭文才刚刚开始分析，并且洞穴中仍然尚未详细探讨，因此COVA可能仍然是未来几年考古学家的惊喜来源。”