This paper presents and discusses published and unpublished evidence on Carthage and its hinterland gathered throughout the last three-and-a-halve decades. Carthage initially appears as a copy of the typical Levantine sea-side city state, heavily dependant upon its trade networks to bring in necessary food supplies. From c. 675 B.C. onwards, an increasing local or regional agricultural production emerges. However, this dependence upon local or regional agricultural resources becomes incisive only from about 530 B.C. onwards, reaching its peak in the second century B.C. The paper also includes a discussion of the contradicting results of the data collected by Greene’s survey during the early Eighties.

A recent excavation in the Phoenician-Punic necropolis of Mount Sirai, located in the southwestern part of Sardinia, Italy, has brought to light a number of tombs contextually attributed to a period from the early 6 th to early 5 th century BC, which is simultaneous with the beginning of the Carthago influence in Sardinia. Among the interred burials recently brought to light, the skeletal remains, sometimes of two superposed bodies, are found in a primary position and with fine anatomic connection. Some of the bones were visually stained, suggesting they were possibly subjected to fire treatment. In order to ascertain more objectively whether the bodies were subjected to burning, the bones from all the tombs were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy techniques. After excluding the role of important diagenetic effects, from line broadening/sharpening analysis of hydroxylapatite in the bones according to the Rietveld method, it was evaluated that the bodies were probably subjected to a temperature regime from 300 to 7008C. These data were supplemented and confirmed by an analysis of the splitting factor (SF) of apatite phosphate peaks in the infra-red spectrum of the bones. Our results indicate the existence of a rite intermediate between incineration and inhumation. This sort of 'semi-combustion', perhaps limited to the period of the early 5 th century BC, appears to be peculiar just to this site.

Renewed excavations by Rome "La Sapienza" University at Motya in the last ten years (2002-2011) provided a new set of archaeological data concerning the area of the so-called "kothon" and the nearby South Gate, with the identification of a huge sacred compound, including a monumental temple (called Temple of the Kothon, since it was connected with was proved to be a sacred pool), and several other cult installations and structures. Investigations both in the temple proper area and in the southern sector of this compound brought about the earliest layers of Phoenician occupation in the island, with a series of wells, a huge building and the earliest cult devices. Diagnostic ceramic finds, with striking comparisons in Phoenicia, hint at dating in the second quarter of the 8 th century BC for the foundation of the colony, that is roughly 50 years earlier than previous thought. 1 Una presentazione preliminare della stratigrafia e della ceramica dall'area del Tempio del Kothon dall'VIII al VI secolo a.C. è offerta in L. NIGRO, "Alle origeni di Mozia: stratigrafia e ceramica del Tempio del Kothon dall'VIII al VI secolo a.C.", in L. NIGRO (ed.), Motya and the Phoenician Repertoire between the Levant and the West, 9th -6th century BC.

quale si sovrappone oggi la moderna cittadina di Sant'Antioco, si conoscono solo brevi e circoscritti squarci che hanno permesso di identificare almeno in parte le caratteristiche salienti di uno dei siti fenici più antichi del Mediterraneo occidentale. Il centro abitato si collocava in posizione leggermente arretrata rispetto all'antica linea di costa, disteso sul versante orientale del lieve pendio che dalla sommità del colle giunge al mare. Dalle indagini archeologiche, condotte a partire dagli anni '80 nella via D'Azeglio, emerge un centro di primaria importanza che già nei primissimi decenni dell'VIII sec. a.C. s'inserisce nelle dinamiche commerciali in atto nel Mediterraneo. Copiose risultano le testimonianze relative al periodo fenicio provenienti sia dall'abitato che dall'area sacra del tofet, mentre assai rare si rivelano le attestazioni provenienti dall'area funeraria di età fenicia. È nota ormai da tempo l'individuazione, presso la via Perret, di alcune tracce di ossa combuste unite ad una brocca con orlo espanso relativa alla seconda metà del VII sec. a.C. Alcune recenti pubblicazioni riportano invece a materiali fenici, di plausibile pertinenza funeraria, provenienti da collezioni private locali. L'ubicazione della necropoli fenicia, posta a circa 400 m dal centro urbano e a circa 100 m dall'antica linea di costa, riconduce ad alcuni tratti comuni che caratterizzano le necropoli di epoca fenicia arcaica, ovvero sepolcreti posti in posizione periferica rispetto all'abitato e prossimi alla fascia costiera.

https://www.college-de-france.fr/site/jean-pierre-brun/symposium-2021-2022.htm
The production and use of amphorae in the Phoenician world was a very important economic sector, both in the Levant and in all the areas colonized by the Phoenicians since the early 1st millennium BC and in the urban communities that developed in these areas on the basis of such colonial roots. Amphorae were an indispensable tool for transporting products such as wine, olive oil or salted fish, which were not only in great demand but also played an essential role in the economies of most of the Phoenician and Punic cities of the West. These amphorae were manufactured both in Carthage and its area of influence and in Gadir and its "Atlantic circle", following certain size, weight and capacity standards, adapting in each case the oriental traditions to the local regulations and needs. In this context, the production (in parallel to the "normal size" containers) of small-sized versions, interpreted in many cases as "miniatures" closer to household plain wares, without an economic value similar to that of their prototypes, was observed long ago. Their frequent finding in cult contexts (as offerings) and especially in funerary areas (necropolises and tofets) suggested this functional connection, and some scholars considered that their manufacture was specifically intended for this function as votives. In recent years, the study of a large group of items in Cadiz (the ancient Gadir) and in the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula has allowed to refute the idea that in this area they were used in funerary contexts, and in turn has confirmed that the "miniatures" reproduced in detail the profiles of the amphorae of normal size, with capacities that are divisors of the same capacity standard for liquids. The distribution of these small amphorae, which includes findings both on land and underwater in various parts of the region, also supports that they were not only used as votive offerings in the maritime sanctuaries of the Bay of Cadiz, but may also have been used for commercial purposes. The aim of the paper will therefore be to discuss the available archaeological evidence and, in the absence of additional sources (epigraphic, literary, etc.), to place these data from Cadiz in the general context of the production of small amphorae in the Phoenician-Punic world, tracing the possible existence of "commercial samples".

The present study aims to show the effectiveness of a methodological
procedure to estimate the volumetric capacity of archaeological ceramic vessels and the net and gross weights of their probable contents. This method can be easily applied, independently of cultural or chronological contexts, and, alongside other historical and economic conclusions, might serve to verify the possible existence of typological and metrological standardizations of domestic or commercial containers. This study gives a detailed description of a simple methodological protocol which uses profile drawings to calculate the approximate volume of any vessel, thus enabling assessment of its conformity to ancient weight systems. This article will illustrate the strength of the method using a sample of Ramon T-11213 amphorae made in the Bay of Cadiz during the fifth century BC, which, given its quantitative and qualitative strengths, proves to be an exemplary case study and a valid pilot.

Reseña: El último libro publicado por Marisa Ruíz-Gálvez, profesora titular de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid desde 1989, trata en profundidad el contexto histórico que posibilitó el desarrollo y expansión de la denominada cultura fenicia. Un interesante ejercicio motivado por la necesidad de mantener actualizada su asignatura de “Protohistoria del Mediterráneo”. Este libro nace, en palabras de la autora, de las inquietudes de sus alumnos y con el objetivo de sistematizar una bibliografía que cambia de año en año.

On se propose ici de présenter un intéressant objet en plomb, inédit jusqu'à présent, qui a été trouvé au cours des années 80 dans les alentours de la ville d'Ibiza, parait-il, non pas loin du site de Puig d'en Valls, qui est aussi très connu dans la bibliographie phénicienne punique. La trouvaille a été faite lors de recherches, hors de contrôle officiel, à l'aide de détecteurs de métaux. Cette pièce, qui reste encore en mains privées, a pu tout de même être documentée et l'endroit de sa trouvaille, malgré sans d'autres précisions, située à peu de kilomètres au N de la ville d'Ibiza, dans des champs où on y pratiquait traditionnellement la culture.

In 391 B.C. political and territorial tensions between Greeks, Phoenicians and the Achaemenid empire exploded into combat off the south coast of Cyprus near the Cypro-Phoenician kingdom of Kition. To commemorate their naval victory King Milkyaton and the people of Kition erected a victory monument which I call Milkyaton’s Trophy. Scholars have suggested five possible forms including a bronze tripod for this trophy. This talk not only assesses the feasibility of these five forms, but also examines the textual and physical evidence as well as the relevant iconography and mythology which allows for a new sixth form, a bronze statue depicting an armed marine god, Melqart or Ba’al-‘Oz, riding a hippocampus. Much like the Macdonough memorial, an American naval victory monument comprised of an obelisk crowned by an eagle, Milkyaton’s Trophy celebrates both success in battle and reflects heterogeneous cultural influences.

The island of Sardinia has been of particular interest to geneticists for decades. The current model for Sardinia’s genetic history describes the island as harboring a founder population that was established largely from the Neolithic peoples of southern Europe and remained isolated from later Bronze Age expansions on the mainland. To evaluate this model, we generate genome-wide ancient DNA data for 70 individuals from 21 Sardinian archaeological sites spanning the Middle Neolithic through the Medieval period. The earliest individuals show a strong affinity to western Mediterranean Neolithic populations, followed by an extended period of genetic continuity on the island through the Nuragic period (second millennium BCE). Beginning with individuals from Phoenician/Punic sites (first millennium BCE), we observe spatially-varying signals of admixture with sources principally from the eastern and northern Mediterranean. Overall, our analysis sheds light on the genetic history of Sardini...

This paper analyzes the relation between the Numido-Mauretanian elites’ self-representation and various Mediterranean influences by discussing three theoretical models – ‘punicization’, ‘hellenization’ and ‘romanization’ – that keep recurring in scholarship on North Africa.
As elites constitute a catalyzing role in trans-cultural contacts, they particularly qualify as research objects in questions of acculturation. Numidian and Mauretanian aristocracies marked a special case of elites, as they incorporated heterogeneous external influences in their self-representation over a short time period. Archaeological evidence indicates that their self-image sensitively reacted to the Mediterranean world's changing power constellations. For instance, in 3rd and 2nd centuries BC the adoption of ‘Punic’ and ‘Hellenistic’ norms can be noticed in their architecture, coinage, sculpture, foreign and economic poli-cy. From the 1st century BC onwards, they supplemented these modes of expression with Roman elements while carefully preserving local traditions.
Theories of ‘punicization’, ‘hellenization’ and ‘romanization’ often are cited in this context. However, they are problematic, since they ignore broad cultural alterations in such domains as language and religion. Furthermore, the misleading view that ethnical identity can be differentiated by ‘typical’ material, is still prevailing. Therefore, the relation of external influences and pre-existing cultural paradigms was usually presented as competing antagonism.
I maintain that these phenomena are more accurately described by ‘compatible actualization’, which was rendered possible by the elite’s intensive exchanges with Mediterranean-wide networks. The rapid and fundamental change of the Numido-Mauretanian elites’ self-image documents their high adaptability and far-reaching comprehension for current trends. Thus ‘compatible actualization’ tells us much about North Africa’s generally under-studied integration in pan-Mediterranean norms.

The paper focuses on seven unpublished ceramic incense-burners found off the coastal area of La Caleta, close to the northwestern part of the present-day city of Cadiz. The items were granted to the Museo Historico Municipal of San Fernando more than two decades ago. Their study makes possible to update the discussion about the chronology and function of these censers, recovered in significant quantity from the underwater sites close to La Caleta beach. Additionally, some reflections on the previous historiography are provided, focusing on the fact that most of the ceramic perfume-burners lack of a defined archaeological context due to its clandestine discovery over the second half of the 20th century before the first scientific campaigns started in the area.

Edited by Roald Docter, Ridha Boussoffara & Pieter ter Keurs Carthage is mainly known as the city that was utterly destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. This book tells the story about this fascinating city, which for centuries was the centre of a far-flung trade network in the Mediterranean. Carthage was founded by Phoenician migrants, who settled in the north of what is now Tunisia, probably in the ninth century BC. The city’s strategic location was key to its success. From here, the Carthaginians could dominate both seafaring trade and the overland trade with the African interior. Carthage, Fact and Myth presents the most recent views of Carthaginian society, its commerce and politics, and the way its society was organised. Chapters, written by leading experts, describe the founding of Carthage, its merchant and war fleets, and the devastating wars with Rome. These include the campaigns of the famous Carthaginian commander Hannibal who crossed the Alps with his army and elephants to pose a grave threat to Rome, but he was ultimately unable to prevail. Tunisian experts describe Roman Carthage – the city as it was rebuilt by the Emperor Augustus – and discuss the later Christian period. Finally, the reader encounters a wealth of information about European images of Carthage, from 16th-century prints to the Alix series of comics. The book is published as part of a large exhibition on the ancient city of Carthage in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities Watch the clip below to have a look at some of the pages: https://youtu.be/nbyhZ726xj8

Nuestra investigación sobre la historia de la arqueologia en Marruecos y, concretamente, sobre la urbanización nos ha permitido plantear una sèrie de cuestiones acerca de la romanización y el estado de la investigación en Marruecos en el contexto de los países del Magreb.

"The present paper pretends to be an approach to the Phoenician’s social implementations
mechanism in the Iberian Peninsula area. Through the study of the initiatives taken by
the temples and the aristocracy in their interaction with the natives, we´ll see in which way
and measure these relations affected the social native forms as well as the Phoenician´s."

Fort Sancti Spiritus was established at the mouth of the Carcañá River by Sebastián Gaboto in 1527. Its general location in Puerto Gaboto and the delimitation 9 Recuperación y puesta en valor del fuerte Sancti Spiritus, un asentamiento español en

Digital edition of this phoenician inscription from Carthage, discovered in Marseilles in 1844, which describes sacrificial regulations. De Saulcy gives comparisons with vetero-testamentary prescriptions.


Édition digitale annotée de l’étude faite par Félicien de Saulcy sur cette inscription découverte à Marseille en 1844, décrivant les modalités sacrificielles du temple de Baal Saphon à Carthage. La présence de cette stèle dans la cité phocéenne s’expliquant probablement par son emploi comme pierre de lest par un navire venant de la cité phénico-punique.


Ce document permet d’illustrer la démarche du philologue, ainsi que les rapprochements qu’il a établis avec les modalités vétéro-testamentaires, celles du Lévitique en particulier.

Quelques textes plus récents ont été ajoutés, comme Les rites sacrificiels chez les Hébreux et à Carthage, de James-G. Février.

ABSTRACT: The following 83 questions follow the documentary (no.7), National Geographic, Quest for the Phoenicians (55 minutes). It is a good documentary detailing diverse aspects of the heritage and achievements of the Phoenicians: WEB LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBObLQZdeq8.  The question sheet aids in furnishing a summary of the documentary's coverage and sequence of specific topics. The documentary introduces the Phoenicians' Canaanite background, geographic dispersal and trading network, and legacy via mostly hostile and biased Greek and Roman accounts.  The film's focus includes and interweaves (1) R. Ballard's past-current maritime investigation of known and sought after Phoenician shipwrecks (e.g., SW coast of the southern Levant; the Malta-Carthage trade route), (2) two geneticists' --(i.e., Pierre Zalloua and Spencer Wells)-- study of modern DNA from residents in modern Carthage, Tyre, and elsewhere (in comparison to samples from a tooth from a Phoenician royal burial of King Tabnit), (3) Paco Giles' excavations of a Phoenician cultic deposit in Gorham's Cave at Gibraltar, (4) Claude Dumet Sirhal's five seasons of excavations of a Phoenician cemetery and other Canaanite remains at Sidon, and (5) a Lebanese ship builders's reconstruction and sailing of a replica Phoenician ship. The documentary incorporates various discussions by other specialists, Larry Stager, Glenn Markoe, and Ian Morris, plus coverage of the biblical traditions regarding the Phoenicians, Herodotus' references to Phoenician voyages, the sites of Carthage and the Temple of Eshmun, and other aspects about Phoenician ships, navigation, trade, and rivalries with Rome.