Researchers from the universities of Alicante and Zaragoza have published a study detailing a remarkable discovery. Cova de les Dones, also known as Done Cave, sits in the municipality of Millares in Valencia and is described as the most significant Paleolithic sanctuary along the eastern Mediterranean edge of the Iberian Peninsula to date.
Done Cave has long been a familiar spot for cavers and hikers, with a history of visitor activity stretching back to the 18th century. Its Paleolithic paintings remained unknown to scholars until a 2021 breakthrough led by Aitor Ruiz-Redondo, Virginia Barciela González, and Ximo Martorell Briz, all affiliated with the University of Alicante or partner institutions. Over the past two decades, these researchers have helped uncover more than thirty new groups of rock art across various European regions, expanding the picture of early human creativity in this area.
To date, Cova Dones contains more than a hundred graphic units created through painting, simple engraving, and incised lines. The site is celebrated for the diversity of techniques and the richness of its imagery, making it one of the most important Paleolithic complexes on the eastern Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It ranks among the largest concentrations of Paleolithic motifs found in Europe since the discovery of Atxurra in Bizkaia in 2015. The region has not traditionally been known for dense Paleolithic activity, a fact that heightens the significance of Dones in the broader Catalonia, Valencia, and Murcia corridor. The disproportion between the abundance of monumental collections at Parpalló Cave in Valencia and the scarcity of similarly extensive assemblages elsewhere is particularly striking in this context.
Virginia Barciela González and Aitor Ruiz-Redondo are pictured examining a panel bearing a cave motif. The study was published in Antiquity as part of the Project Gallery, presenting a preliminary analysis of the site’s features and its relevance to European Paleolithic Art. The report notes at least nineteen animal representations, including deer, horses, and aurochs, and highlights a distinguishing technical feature: many paintings show hair-like textures. Although this technique exists elsewhere in Paleolithic art, its prevalence at Done Cave marks a notable contrast. The simplicity of execution contrasts with the age of these clay-based paintings, which are further supported by the presence of thick stalagmite coverings over many motifs. Integrating multiple lines of indirect evidence, the authors estimate the complex could be at least twenty-four thousand years old.
The research described in the publication is at a preliminary stage, with almost half a kilometer of the site left to document and a wealth of panels still awaiting thorough recording. The multidisciplinary team expects to uncover additional motifs in the coming years as fieldwork continues and new analyses are conducted, gradually painting a fuller picture of this remarkable sanctuary.
Carved deer motifs from Cova Dones have captivated researchers and visitors alike, underscoring the cave’s role as a key reference point in European Paleolithic art and heritage studies.
Experts emphasize that the Cova Dones project contributes not only a growing catalog of iconography but also new perspectives on how Paleolithic communities used space, light, and texture to convey meaning through rock art. The site stands as a crucial link in understanding early artistic expression along the Mediterranean coast and invites ongoing exploration that may reshape current assumptions about the scale and distribution of prehistoric art in this region.
In summary, the ongoing work at Cova Dones reveals a rich and complex Paleolithic record that challenges earlier notions about the geographic spread of ancient art. With each newly documented panel, researchers piece together a more complete narrative of human creativity during the late Ice Age and its enduring legacy in Iberian archaeological heritage.