Carthaginian Child Tombstone Texts (200 BCE)

For translation methodology see: How to Translate Alphabetic Akkadian Texts

Gravestone from the child cemetery of Carthage.
Gravestone from the child cemetery of Carthage. Now at the Tunisian National Bardo Museum. 
Photo by Pascal Radigue via Wikimedia commons online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A8le_signe_tanit.jpg

Tombstone Text from Carthage Blames Problems on Fate 200 BCE (Med Text 12)

(Sept 5, 2023, updated March 20, 2025) This gravestone was found in the children’s cemetery in Carthage. It dates sometime after 400 BCE when texts first started to appear on gravestones there (Sheldon 2020) and before the destruction of Carthage in 146 BCE.  

Punic children's cemetery is mistakenly called the "Tophet" from its use in the Hebrew scripture as a place for child sacrifice. All runic texts indicate no child sacrifices were involved.

The text mentions the crescent moon goddess Ayu who is likely represented by this stele's shape. Traditional scholarship claims this goddess was Tanit but no such deity exists in any runic text. Normally, Druid goddesses are identified by their arm positions (up = Selu/Selene, holding breasts = Ayu, folded under breasts = Kate/Hekate). This shape leaves the identification up to the text.

The text is blaming a drought on confused connections between the life threads made by eagle-vultures. Life threads bring the divine life powers (fertility fluids) down to earth where they trigger life manifestations. It reads:

  1. Astrological-Powers can nourish astrology-magic.  Omens can activate astrology-magic.  Lack is revealing nesting by the en[emy]. 
  2. The fate-curse's expectations have not been revealed. The nest's (network) irrigation has been revealed.  The Reed-Boat (Ayu) has been revealed.
  3. The fertility-fluid's motion-powers are being nourished.  The life-threads of the Reed-Boat (Ayu) are are supporting confusion. A lack of authority is being revealed.
  4. The priest-parents (power class integrators) life-threads are being prodded and confused. The lack eagle-vultures is resulting in the energizing of astrology-magic.
  5. Those eagle-vultures are undermining the rainstorm's energy.  

References

Sheldon, N. (2020) The Tophet of Carthage: Archaeology and the Question of Sacrifice. From History and Archaeology Online at: https://historyandarchaeologyonline.com/the-tophet-of-carthage-archaeology-and-the-question-of-sacrifice/
Gravestone from the child cemetery of Carthage. Now at the Tunisian National Bardo Museum. Letter assignments by Olmsted.
Gravestone from the child cemetery of Carthage. Now at the Tunisian National Bardo Museum. Letter assignments by Olmsted.

Carthage Fate Text Lines 1 and 2 (Med Text 12)

(Sept 5, 2023, updated March 20, 2025) 

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage. Letter style is Punic
  1. IRu  Bu  Tu.  ITu  Ṣu  Tu.  Lu  Nu  Ba'u  Ya[1] (Med 12.1)
  2. UYa  AQu  Nu  Ya.  Ba'u  IKu  Nu.  AMu  Nu (Med 12.2)
  3. Mu  A'u  Bu.  Qu  AMu  MaNu  EŠu.   Lu  RaBu  Nu (Med 12.3)
  4. 'Bu  Qu  KaYu  U  EŠu.  Lu  Ru  A  Gu  Tu. (Med 12.4)
  5. A  Ru  MiTu  MuRa  Gi (Med 12.5)

In English


  1. Astrological-Powers can nourish astrology-magic.  Omens can activate astrology-magic.  Lack is revealing nesting by the en[emy]. 
  2. The fate-curse's expectations have not been revealed. The nest's (network) irrigation has been revealed.  The Reed-Boat (Ayu) has been revealed.
  3. The fertility-fluid's motion-powers are being nourished.  The life-threads of the Reed-Boat (Ayu) are are supporting confusion. A lack of authority is being revealed.
  4. The priest-parents (power class integrators) life-threads are being prodded and confused. The lack eagle-vultures is resulting in the energizing of astrology-magic.
  5. Those eagle-vultures are undermining the rainstorm's energy.  

The Power of Omens (Med Text 27)

Child gravestone as displayed in the Carthage National Museum.  
Photo by Pascal Radigue via Wikimedia commons online at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St%C3%A8le_navire_MN_carthage.jpg

Translation (Med Text 27)

(August 21, 2023) Image on this stone shows either the sun or moon under the sky-dome over a boat in a storm which represents chaos.  The text seems to be about things which can cause the chaos which is probably being blamed for the death of this child. The texts goes on to provides a statement about how humans can prevent that.

Translation in Akkadian

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold. Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words)
Chart Used: Levant Letter Lineage. Letter style is Punic
  1. IRu  Bu  Zu.  ITu  Nu  Tu.  NuNu  Bu  [ ] (Med 27.1)
  2. Wu  E.  +  Nu  Ru  ARu.  +  Nu  Bu  [ ] (Med 27.2)

In English


  1. Astrological-powers can nourish emanations (life powers like sun rays, rain).  Omens can reveal astrology-magic.  Chaos is nourishing  [end of line destroyed] 
  2. Crimp nothing.  +  Reveal the eagle-vulture's control. +  Reveal the nourishments for [end of line destroyed]