Tophet of Carthage

Punic-era infant burial ground at the heart of one of antiquity's most controversial debates

The Tophet of Carthage — also known as the Sanctuary of Tanit — is the Punic-era infant burial ground just south of the Punic Ports, and it sits at the heart of one of the most contested debates in ancient history. The site holds the cremated remains of thousands of infants, deposited in small urns over the course of several centuries, often accompanied by the bones of young animals and stone votive stelae. Classical writers were unanimous that the Carthaginians sacrificed infants to their gods; modern scholarship has argued back and forth for over a century. Recent DNA and isotopic analysis has tipped the consensus back toward the classical view.

The site itself is sobering rather than spectacular — an open archaeological zone with a forest of carved stone stelae arranged in clusters, plus a small interpretive museum at the entrance. The Tunisian state has historically been quiet about the site, perhaps understandably reluctant to dwell on evidence of ritual child killing in the nation's heritage. There is an entry fee, but much of the visible material can be seen from the perimeter fence.

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The Tophet of Carthage has produced thousands of small urns containing the cremated remains of infants, often together with the bones of young animals — and classical Greek and Roman writers consistently described the Carthaginians as practising child sacrifice to the gods Baal Hammon and Tanit. Modern scholars have argued for over a century about whether the tophet really is evidence of ritual killing or simply a special cemetery for children who died of natural causes. Recent DNA and isotope studies have, on balance, supported the older view.