The topic of Carthaginian child sacrifice is a heated one still disputed by many historians and archaeologists. Some primary sources, such as Diodorus Siculus, suggested that the Tophet, or roasting place, was a giant bronze statue with outstretched hands that sloped down into a fiery pit. The child would be placed into the statue's hands and given to the flames and the god Ba’al Hammon. The discovery of mass child graveyards would seem to support these ancient texts, but some historians argue that it is simply a sign of a civilisation with a high infant mortality rate.
