New Study Challenges Notion of Child Sacrifices in Ancient Carthage

A 2024 bioarchaeological study published in the journal Antiquity has found that the remains of incinerated children discovered in the Tophet of Carthage do not provide evidence of systematic human sacrifices. This historical injustice was first perpetuated by Roman historians, as the saying goes: "history has always been written by the winners."

According to the researchers, these deposits are more likely to be the result of natural infant mortality, treated with elaborate funeral rites. The study combines a bioarchaeological approach, including age-at-death estimation (via teeth and skeletal development stages), taphonomic analysis of burned bones, and comparison with other Mediterranean funerary sites.

The results show that the children died at very early ages, corresponding to the high rates of infant mortality in ancient times. No skeletal evidence suggests voluntary killing.

The researchers note that the idea of child sacrifices in Carthage was largely fueled by Greek and Roman accounts, written in a context of political rivalry with the Punic city. These texts, now considered unreliable by many historians, have long influenced archaeological interpretations. The 2024 study does not deny the religious dimension of the Tophet deposits, but it significantly weakens the hypothesis of a sanctuary dedicated to human sacrifices.

Published in Antiquity, this research does not close the controversy but shifts its terms. The current data support the idea of a ritual funerary space associated with high infant mortality rates more than the notion of a voluntary human sacrifice site. As the authors conclude, it is now up to those who still defend the sacrificial hypothesis to provide solid evidence.

Key Findings:

• The remains of incinerated children in the Tophet of Carthage do not provide evidence of systematic human sacrifices.
• The deposits are more likely to be the result of natural infant mortality, treated with elaborate funeral rites.
• The study combines a bioarchaeological approach, including age-at-death estimation, taphonomic analysis, and comparison with other Mediterranean funerary sites.
• The results show that the children died at very early ages, corresponding to high rates of infant mortality in ancient times.
• No skeletal evidence suggests voluntary killing.

Implications:

• The study challenges the historical narrative of child sacrifices in Carthage, perpetuated by Roman historians.
• The findings suggest that the Tophet deposits should be reinterpreted as a ritual funerary space associated with high infant mortality rates.
• The study highlights the importance of critically evaluating ancient sources and considering alternative interpretations.