Shrine of Tanit

A mother goddess of fertility and war, Tanit was not just the consort of Ba’al Hammon but his equal and counterpart. She was associated with the ancient Ugarit gods, like Ba’al, and particularly the war goddess Anat, who is often depicted as a headhunter in battle, wading knee-deep through blood. This imagery persisted in Carthage, but Tanit was also revered as the mother of her people and as the patron of nursing. Kerkouane, a Carthaginian settlement abandoned sometime during the First Punic War, had a sanctuary dedicated to her. It featured a courtyard, surrounded by a series of columns, and mosaic floors bearing her symbol. Associated with, or serving, the sanctuary, there were rooms and houses with stone baths, with sculpted seats and arm-rests for bathers.