Tophet de Carthage, Tunis

The Tophet of Carthage, also known as the Tophet of Salammbô, is a sacred area located in Tunis, dedicated to the Phoenician deities Tanit and Baal. It served as a combination of a sanctuary and necropolis and is located near the Punic ports in the Carthaginian district of Salammbô. The tophet is believed to have been in use for over 600 years, between 730 BCE and 146 BCE, and contains many children's tombs. There are different opinions regarding whether the children buried there were sacrificed or buried after their untimely deaths.

The question of what happened to these children is closely connected to the Phoenician and Punic religion, and how it was perceived by Jews and Romans. The term "Tophet" originally referred to a place near Jerusalem associated with hell, which has led to a morbid interpretation of the religious practices at the Carthaginian Tophet.

The cause of the children's burials is still being debated among historians, as written and archaeological sources can be interpreted in various ways. While some argue that the graves suggest that the children buried there were sacrificed, others believe that the evidence is inconclusive and that the texts may have been written with an agenda, especially given the wars between Carthage and Rome.

Some evidence suggests that the children's graves were separated from adult cemeteries and were regularly tended to and supplied with offerings. The inscriptions referring to gifts and offerings may indicate sacrifice or could signify the family's hope for regeneration or fertility after the loss of a child. The graves from the early period are marked with low thrones or stones, while later graves are marked with sandstone markers covered in stucco and painted in various colors.