Archaeologists from the University of Alicante have discovered an ancient face carved into the rock with three artistic representations of a human face, a cornucopia and a phallus. This is reported on the university’s website.
The age of the carved face found in the Spanish fortress of Tossal de la Cala is estimated at two thousand years. This site on the east coast of Spain served as a Roman fort during the Sertorian Wars of 80-72 BC. At that time, there was a civil war between a group of Roman rebels (Sertorians) and the Roman government.
A face is depicted on the stone and next to it is a phallus and a cornucopia. The engraving measures 57 by 42 centimeters, but scientists believe the work may be incomplete because the top is missing. The purpose of its creation is unknown. Carving can be graffiti or perform a ritual function. Given that the Romans considered the phallus the embodiment of male reproductive power and one of the symbols of state security (sacra Romana), the inclusion of the phallus raises the possibility that it served for protection.
Given that many Roman gods associated with the harvest, prosperity, or spiritual abundance are often depicted with a cornucopia on Roman reliefs and coins, a fertility image increases the likelihood that the face belongs to a god or goddess.
Legend has it that fertility was created when Hercules fought the river god Achelous and broke off one of his horns (river gods were sometimes depicted as horned).