The Tophet Question: New Excavations in the Tophet of Carthage, New Data

The tophet has been the subject of controversy between historians and archaeologists since 1981. Some continue to believe in the immolation of small children, thus following the Bible and Greco-Roman authors and others who deny this practice and defend the thesis of the natural death of the children burned in this sanctuary. To help solve this enigma, the tophet of Carthage has been the subject since 2016 of an excavation and osteological, microbiological and epigraphic study project. This project is beginning to yield very interesting and promising results.