A mask of a woman with a Phoenician hairstyle, unique in the archaeological record, was found in the Tophet necropolis and sanctuary on the outskirts of Carthage in Tunisia. The sculpture dates to the late 4th century BC and is believed to be a votive offering.

Tophet in Carthage was an open-air sanctuary that was used as a necropolis and temple from the 8th century BC to the 2nd century BC. It is filled with tombs, especially those of children and animals, architectural and ritual material associated with the worship of Tanit, the goddess of fertility and the moon, and her consorts, the sun god and Baal-hamun, the god of seasonal renewal.

This small head was unearthed during excavations at the temples of Barhamon and Tanit in Tophet. Carved from a fine block of white marble, it depicts a woman with a calm face, delicate lips, and a hairstyle depicted in temples in East Phoenicia (present-day Lebanon).

Previous offerings found at Tophet were statues made of clay or simple stone with devotions inscribed on them. This is the first marble altar of such refinement and complexity found at the site, suggesting that it was dedicated to the gods of the sanctuary by a noble or family invoking prayers or expressing gratitude to the gods of the sanctuary with offerings of the highest quality.

There are residual polychromatic traces on the marble surface. Analysis of the marble and paint will pinpoint their origins. If the mask was made locally, its stylized design was directly inspired by Levantine imagery, meaning that Punic sculptors incorporated ancient Phoenician motifs into local religious iconography. Alternatively, the object itself was imported from the eastern Mediterranean.

Once analysis and preservation are complete, the head will be displayed in the Carthage Museum.