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How to Re-Place Carthaginian Votive Dedications into Context

Friends of ASOR present the next webinar of the 2024-2025 season on April 2, 2025, at 2:00 pm EDT, presented by Dr. Brien Garnand. This webinar will be free and open to the public. Registration through Zoom (with a valid email address) is required. This webinar will be recorded and all registrants will be sent a recording link in the days following the webinar.

Upcoming anniversaries of American excavations offer an opportunity to reassess the importance of Carthage, famous for its contacts and conflicts with Greeks and Romans across the Mediterranean and infamous for its alleged ritual infanticide. Two American teams conducted excavations at the city’s liminal open-air votive precinct, where one finds cremated infant remains buried in urns beneath stone memorials bearing dedications to the Mistress, Tinnit Visage-of-Ba‘l, and to the Lord, Ba‘l Hammon.

The Carthaginian precinct remained in use from the city’s foundation (ca.800 BCE) until its destruction by Rome (146 BCE). Thousands of inscribed stelae found there provide the vast majority ( > 90%) of the Phoenician-Punic epigraphic corpus and provide evidence for the development of alphabetic writing; uninscribed stelae add to iconographic repertoires; and key amulet and urn typologies arise from this site. In sum, no Phoenician precinct stands anywhere near equal in importance to this singular sanctuary, one of the most studied and least understood cultural features of Phoenician-Punic society. Interpretation of the site remains difficult—in no small part due to a lack of stratigraphic data since final reports have not been forthcoming.

The centennial and golden anniversaries of American excavations fast approach—one hundred years ago, F. W. Kelsey of the University of Michigan led a campaign under the auspices of the AIA (1925); fifty years ago, L. E. Stager of University of Chicago led another under the auspices of ASOR (1976-1979). Both teams excavated in the same propriété Regulus-Salammbô, with Stager’s Punic Project excavations picking up where Kelsey had left off. Even before the American campaigns, many stelae had already been extracted through clandestine or amateur excavation, including hasty extractions made just before Kelsey arrived on site, depriving us of their context. Nevertheless, our archival research at the University of Michigan has uncovered excavation records that, in combination with the Punic Project records, allow us to locate stela in plan and section. We have made practice scans of stelae, in the Netherlands and Denmark, in anticipation of scanning individual stela now held in Tunisian museum store rooms. This talk will demonstrate how 3D models of individual stelae can be replaced into their original positions by using archival site plans and annotated photographs and in reference to the positions of those stelae still in situ, and it will demonstrate how we can create a precise scale model of the Regulus-Salammbô sector.

Brien Garnand is a research associate of the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East (HMANE) and a visiting researcher at the Netherlands Institute for the Near East (NINO), currently a member of a research group at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (IIAS). He has contributed to the final excavation report from the ASOR Punic Project Carthage excavations since 1993, recently co-editing a preview of that report in a thematic volume of the Journal of Ancient History (Infants as Votive Offerings 2023). Besides cataloging artifacts in the basement of the HMANE and in the store rooms of the Musée national de Carthage, he has scoured the archives of the F. W. Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan and the J. B. Chabot archives at the Université catholique de Louvain in preparation for an exhibition timed to correspond with the issue of the Punic Project final report on the the 50th/100th anniversaries of American excavations. He once served as assistant director of the Stanford University Excavations at Mt. Polizzo in Sicily, and he has extensive experience in North Africa, both in field survey (Project Jerba—University of Pennsylvania/AAR/INP) and in excavation (Carthage Bir Messaouda—University of Amsterdam/INP). His current research focuses on votive stelae, both putting the formulaic-poetic language of Phoenician inscriptions into the context of Ancient Near Eastern literature and putting the sanctuary of Tinnit and Ba‘l in Carthage into the context of votive precincts across the Mediterranean. A mobility grant from NINO (2022) allowed him to test 3D scanning methods, and a recent ASOR Dar Ben Gacem fellowship (2023) supported a research visit to the Carthage precinct where he prepared a preliminary 3D site model.

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Latest Posts from @ASORResearch

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Initiating and supporting research of the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.


Remember to tune in TOMORROW (Oct. 8) at 7:00pm ET
Remember to tune in TOMORROW (Oct. 8) at 7:00pm ET for our next FOA webinar: "Readers of the Lost Ark: The Ark of the Covenant from Biblical Religion to Contemporary Culture" presented by Kevin McGeough with panelists Jennie Ebeling and Bill Caraher. Register now if you haven't: https://buff.ly/1oKIpSA


ASOR is accepting applications for the 2025 Studen
ASOR is accepting applications for the 2025 Student Paper Award (pictured is Nicole Constantine, winner of the 2024 award). The award is accompanied by a $500 prize—applications and recorded paper presentations are both due by November 5. Read more about eligibility and how to apply by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/NcjivIT) in our bio.


Biblical Archaeology Review is looking for a new A
Biblical Archaeology Review is looking for a new Assistant Editor! Biblical Archaeology Review is a quarterly archaeology magazine that acts as a bridge between the academic study of archaeology and a broad general audience eager to understand the world of the Bible better. See their job announcement for more details: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/about-the-biblical-archaeology-society/employment/


The #ImageoftheWeek from this week’s ANE Today:
The #ImageoftheWeek from this week’s ANE Today: 12,000 year old rock art panel of life-sized camels discovered in the Nefed Desert, Saudi Arabia. Orthophoto with tracings digitally outlined in color. Image source: M. Guagnin et al. 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63417-y). CC By 4.0. #Archaeology #RockArt #SaudiArabia


The Ark of the Covenant is an ancient biblical art
The Ark of the Covenant is an ancient biblical artifact that is easy for people to imagine. Because its function is ambiguous, there is a rich and diverse interpretive history of the object that is as old as the Bible itself. Read more in the newest ANE Today by Kevin McGeough by clicking the link (https://anetoday.org/imagining-the-ark/) in our bio.


ASOR is seeking a volunteer photographer to help c
ASOR is seeking a volunteer photographer to help capture our upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza from November 19–22, 2025, including our 125th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday evening. This is an uncompensated position, but reimbursements and hotel nights are negotiable. Read more by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/aZQB5kS) in our bio. Applications due October 15th.


Gabrielle Puckett, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fi
Gabrielle Puckett, a 2025 Eric and Carol Meyers Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient, excavated at Makounta-Voules in Cyprus this summer. With a strong interest in zooarchaeology, Gabrielle shares her experience digging with views of the Mediterranean in the background. Read her report by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/2CSjLkn) in our bio.
#Fieldwork #Archaeology #Cyprus


Join Friends of ASOR on our very first archaeologi
Join Friends of ASOR on our very first archaeological tour of Cyprus! Experience exclusive, behind-the-scenes access as scholars, archaeologists, and museum curators personally guide you through a specially curated itinerary of sites and museums. The Early Bird rates are only till tomorrow, September 30. Read more about how to reserve your spot here: https://buff.ly/GHulteg
#Cyprus


The American Academy of Religion, Southeastern reg
The American Academy of Religion, Southeastern region, invites abstracts for its annual conference. With opportunity to participate in more than 20 units and 50 sessions, scholars and students of religious studies, theology, and biblical literature located in the southeast are encouraged to apply. There will be ASOR member-sponsored sessions on Field Reports and Related Scholarship, and Shifting Identities and the Archaeology of the Ancient World.
The Call for Papers deadline is October 1, 2025. Learn more at https://relse.org.


Join us for our next webinar on October 8 at 7:00p
Join us for our next webinar on October 8 at 7:00pm ET: "Readers of the Lost Ark: The Ark of the Covenant from Biblical Religion to Contemporary Culture" presented by Kevin McGeough with panelists Jennie Ebeling and Bill Caraher. Since the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Ark of the Covenant has become one of, if not the most famous biblical “artifact,” despite the fact that scholars don’t agree on what might have happened to it or if it even really existed. Introducing his new book, Readers of the Lost Ark, Kevin will discuss how the Ark has been understood in different communities, from ancient Jewish and Christian commentators, through Medieval theologians, to modern ancient aliens theorists, misguided explorers, and Indiana Jones fan communities. Register for the free webinar by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/1oKIpSA) in our bio.


ASOR is pleased to announce, with support from the
ASOR is pleased to announce, with support from the American Institute for Roman Culture, the Cyrene Conservation Initiative—a 12-month conservation and heritage education project at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cyrene in eastern Libya. Developed in close collaboration with the Libyan Department of Antiquities, the Cyrene Conservation Initiative is a response to the impacts of Storm Daniel, which caused catastrophic flooding in September 2023. The project will focus on key areas of the ancient city that were particularly affected by the flood, including Valley Street and the Sanctuary of Apollo terrace, one of the most iconic districts in the city. Read more about the project by clicking the link (https://www.asor.org/chi/updates/2025/09/cyrene-conservation-announcement) in our bio!
#Libya #Cyrene #Conservation


Remember to join us TOMORROW at 7:00 pm ET for our
Remember to join us TOMORROW at 7:00 pm ET for our next FOA webinar, "Visions of Antiquity: Paintings of Robert Duncanson and Sculptures of Edmonia Lewis", presented by Dr. Tasha Vorderstrasse. Click the link (https://buff.ly/2uKaM6u) in our bio to register if you haven't already! #foa #foawebinars #foatours


A 2025 ASOR Harris Grant helped launch the Craftin
A 2025 ASOR Harris Grant helped launch the Crafting Landscape Project (CraftLand) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The project's objective is to investigate the use of natural resources and the organization of ceramic production in the Chamchamal region through archaeological survey, landscape analyses, and interviews with traditional potters. Read the project report from Dr. Claire Padovani by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/BAee9K1) in our bio.
📸 C. Padovani
#Fieldwork #Iraq


The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: A
The #ObjectoftheWeek from this week's ANE Today: A faience figurine of the Egyptian dwarf god Pataikos was recently found in Perre, Türkiye (ancient region of Commagene), in a tomb context dating to ca. 75 BCE. Image Source: https://whyrwe.com/nieuws/2025/250902-1316.htm
#Archaeology #Egyptian #Turkiye


Through the ages, the Book of Esther has been one
Through the ages, the Book of Esther has been one of the most beloved biblical books across Jewish communities. Why has it been neglected by Christians? Read the newest ANE Today by Isaac Kalimi by clicking the link (https://anetoday.org/book-of-esther/) in our bio.
#Archaeology #Bible #BookofEsther


Check out our newest Early Career Scholars Resourc
Check out our newest Early Career Scholars Resource video from Bet Hucks (Heidelberg University), "Digital Publications: Issues and Solutions". This video came out of discussions as part of the Digging Up Data program. Topics covered include author's/artist's rights, review of contracts, funding publications, and marketing strategies. Click the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PedozEl7QRA) in our bio to watch on YouTube.


Check out Near Eastern Archaeology 88.3, part two
Check out Near Eastern Archaeology 88.3, part two of the special issue on Megiddo. Read the Table of Contents by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/JW7hS2V) in our bio.


Friends of ASOR is pleased to announce our next we
Friends of ASOR is pleased to announce our next webinar, "Visions of Antiquity: Paintings of Robert Duncanson and Sculptures of Edmonia Lewis" presented by Dr. Tasha Vorderstrasse, is on September 24 at 7:00pm ET! In the middle of the 19th century, Robert Duncanson (1821-1872) and Edmonia Lewis (ca. 1844-1907) created their unique visions for the ancient world, its ruins, and the people who lived in it. In this lecture, Dr. Vorderstrasse will examine the way in which both artists conceptualized the ancient world through different artistic media and the historical context in which they lived, specifically against the backdrop of the Abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the racism that both experienced in the course of their careers. Register for the free webinar by clicking the link (https://buff.ly/JdUpaud) in our bio!


Joshua Micallef, a 2025 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork
Joshua Micallef, a 2025 P.E. MacAllister Fieldwork Scholarship Recipient, excavated at Tell Hesban in Jordan. Interested in landscape archaeology, Joshua shares what it was like to explore and excavate in the trenches of the wadi. Click the link (https://buff.ly/O1zlcdl) in our bio to read the report! 
#fieldwork #archaeology #jordan


Friends of ASOR is pleased to share information on
Friends of ASOR is pleased to share information on BAF & BASONOVA lectures. On Monday, September 15 at 7:45pm, Samuel Collins (George Mason University) will present "The Emperor and the Divine: Between Diocletian and Constantine". This lecture will explore the shifting ground of religious change between the old gods and Christianity in the reigns of these two emperors and ask again the very old question of exactly what Constantine intended for the state when he turned his back on the traditional pantheon and embraced the new Christian God. The event will be held in the Social Hall of the Bender JCC: 6125 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852.



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