Abstract
The non-human animal remains excavated in the Carthage tophet represent a substantial sample of animal bones from a single site. The urns contain partial or whole sheep or goat (ovicaprids) carcasses in abundant numbers, revealing a consistent offering of ovicaprids, some birds, and in a very few cases, fish. Overwhelmingly, the animals are whole-burnt offerings, sacrificed as an offering to the deity or deities. The consistency of the age of the cremated ovicaprids that were interred in the urns allows for a profile of relating animal remains to ritual behavior that took place at the Carthage tophet.
In Memoriam
Sadly, Peter Burns, one of the authors of this article, passed away before its final publication. He will be fondly remembered for his many years of work at the Harvard Peabody Museum as a researcher in zooarchaeology.
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