Recent excavations at the ancient necropolis of Carthage in Tunisia have provided new insights that challenge long-held beliefs about child sacrifice associated with the worship of the god Baal. Conducted by three students under the guidance of an international team of experienced archaeologists, these digs are shedding light on the practices surrounding this Punic burial site.
Discovered in 1921 in the suburbs of Tunis, the necropolis has long been shrouded in controversy, particularly due to literary portrayals, such as Gustave Flaubert's novel Salammbô, which depicted horrific rituals involving the sacrifice of newborns. However, recent studies led by anthropologist Imed Ben Jerbania, alongside French researchers Henri Duday and Émilie Portat, suggest that the remains found in the urns are not those of sacrificed children, but rather fetuses or infants who died of natural causes.
Ahmed Gadhoum, director of the ongoing study, emphasizes that the cremation appears to have been a post-mortem rite symbolizing the return of these children to the deity, in hopes of ensuring future offspring for their families. This interpretation aligns with the findings that the urns, dating from the 6th to the mid-2nd century BCE, contained no evidence of lethal pathologies, and the remains were consistently incomplete.
Portat's meticulous inventory of over 190 urns has revealed an average of three to six skeletons per vessel, often accompanied by animal bones, suggesting these may have been offerings for the afterlife journey. This research is crucial in reevaluating the historical narrative surrounding Carthaginian practices and dispelling the myth of widespread child sacrifice.