It is a “historic” discovery, writes Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs. On Friday, August 11, archaeologists discovered five 2,300-year-old gold coins, as well as the remains of children “during excavation work at the temple of Tafat El Bony”, located in the countryside of the ancient ancient city of Carthage, on the current east coast of the Gulf of Tunis, Tunisia, reports Newsweek.
These gold coins, dating from the 3rd century BC, reflect “the richness of this historical period” and affirm “the value of the civilization of Carthage”, says the ministry. Measuring 2.5 centimeters and made of gold, they are stamped with the face of Tanit, the goddess of fertility, a major deity of Carthaginian religion.
They would have been offered by wealthy worshipers as offerings to the gods and placed in this sacred place called “tophet”, a cemetery where young children were buried. Archaeologists also found, during these excavations, the remains of animals, children and babies, who died prematurely. Their burials would also have been the subject of offerings to deities.
But this is not the first discovery of this type in the ancient ancient city. Several hundred funeral urns containing ashes had already been unearthed by archaeologists. According to scholars, this “tophet” was dedicated to the god Ball Hammon, the god of stelae, also a major deity in Carthaginian religion, as well as to the goddess Tanit.
While, according to some Roman sources, the “tophets” were the place where the remains of child sacrifice victims ended, others believe that the deceased died of natural causes.
This archaeological site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Carthage was one of the most important cities of Antiquity, thanks in particular to its port, which made it an essential place for trade in the Mediterranean. It had also become one of the main rival cities of Rome, before being destroyed in 146 BC.
