An ancient cave called Plutonium, believed to be the portal to Hades in Greek and Roman myth, was uncovered at the ancient site of Hierapolis.

“This is an exceptional discovery as it confirms and clarifies the information we have from the ancient literary and historic sources, Alister Filippini, a researcher in Roman historian at the University of Palermo, Italy told Discovery News.

The new discovery features a temple, a pool, and multiple steps that once descended into the hell.

People could watch the sacred rites from these steps, but they could not get to the area near the opening. Only the priests could stand in front of the portal, said Francesco D’Andria, professor of classic archeology at the University of Salento.

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