What did contributions the Carthaginians made to North African Culture
The Carthaginians reveals the complex culture, society and achievements of a famous ancient people. Beginning as Phoenician settlers in North Africa, the Carthaginians then broadened their civilization with influences from neighboring North African peoples, Egypt and the Greek world. Their own cultural Influence in turn spread across the Western Mediterranean as they imposed dominance over Sardinia, western Sicily, and finally southern Spain .
The arrival of the Carthaginians in North Africa undergoes spreading of their cultural practices which became initiated by the native of North Africa. The following were the contributions of Carthaginians to the North African culture:
Building of temple sand other sacred building in North Africa by the Carthaginians in Sicily and Sardinia, these temples were built for the purpose of people to worship and giving their sacrifice to their gods and goddess. For example on the Byrsa side of the marketplace there was grand temple that of ‘Apollo’, who seems to have been Reshelf, lavishly decorated in gold. It may be that the remains of an early 2nd-Century temple, recently discovered near the suggested site of the agora and only a short distance north of the circular port mentioned earlier, was its final version . The Carthaginians also built a sacred building for sacrifice at Thuga, this caused the natives to adopt this kind of building temples and sacred houses for worshiping and sacrifice, not only in Sicily and Sardinia but also in another areas in Algeria and Morocco.
Spread of new system of worshiping to North African societies where by Carthaginians had a very large number of gods and goddess, before the coming of the Carthaginians in North Africa. The natives had their own gods and goddess but when the Carthaginians started settling in North Africa, forced the natives to worship and respect their gods and goddess. This created conflict between the Carthaginians and the native but later the native surrendered and started to follow all things needed in pray for example, Building temples and sacred houses as well as giving male children for sacrifice. They believed on the god called Zakarbaal which had been high priest of Astarte at Tyre, another was Melgart which was city’s protecting god and the Baal Hammon who was the most prominent aspect of the chief of god. On the other hand, Baal Iddir, Baal Margod, Tanit, Baal Oz, Baal Qarmen, Baal Sapon and Baal shamim were the gods of other aspects. There this spread to the North African ancient culture .After arriving in North Africa, the Carthaginians continued to worship their gods and goddess and they also built temples as places for worshiping, this convinced some of the natives (Berbers) to worship together with the Carthaginians and practiced children sacrifice.
Development of arts to the North African societies, for example various offerings and mementoes could be placed in tombs including figurines, lamps, ornaments and jewelry as well as jars and bowls with foods and drinks to nourish the dead person’s spirit journey to the next world, many artwork reflected many different cultures. From 7th C grave on Byrsa comes a finely worked ivory piece, the tiny remnant of an ornamental carving . The city is painted between a niche with a symbol of the goddess Tanit and on its own other side, a rooster with sharp spurs (apparently a symbol of the soul), so the wall may depict the ‘other-world’ city receiving the soul of the deceased. Development of arts in North Africa caused the natives to adopt the whole system of arts such as painting and decorates graves and tombs.
The emergence of intermarriage between the Carthaginians and the natives (Berbers), the Carthaginians came to North Africa for the main purpose of doing trade of olives and wine. Because of good geographical position of North Africa, they were attracted to settle in North Africa especially in Sicily and Sardinia. They built houses and temples for worshiping, established a large number of farms, big market and shops. This caused many Carthaginians came to North Africa from Middle East to help their friend, colleague and relatives in different activities such as trade and agriculture. They wanted to have the family but the Carthaginians women were few in number because of this, they started to marry the Berbers women and then got children which were known as mulattoes.
Spread of the Carthaginians language to the North African people, when the Carthaginians came to North Africa, they spoke their language; this caused North African people starting to speak the Carthaginians language so as to do trade with the Carthaginians, and other activities such as agriculture and worshiping in order the Berbers did trade with them, they were supposed to learn the Carthaginians language, most of the Berbers were successful learning the Carthaginians language hence the Carthaginians language spread in different societies because of trade of wine and olives. For example in Sicily and Sardinia, most of people who lived there spoke the Carthaginians language because of activities took place such as trade and agriculture, this caused the natives to speak the Carthaginians language voluntary or involuntary.
Development of literature, when the Carthage was established in 146 its libraries were handed over to the minor kings of Africa. These minor kings were the royal family of Numidia various literature works was served and recorded various event happened in the Carthaginians and it was used to generate and influenced various social and economic activities like agriculture. Other works in the libraries perhaps included the sources used for ‘the Punic books (or books in Punic: Punicilibri) that were said to be King Hiempsal’s’, mentioned by the Roman historian Sallust. Hence, this spread and influenced the cultural development of North African societies. The Carthaginians wrote different books about their leaders, gods, goddess and their life in general; this style of keeping record caused other people to start keeping records about their life, for example the Berbers starting publishing different about their life which included their culture and religion.
Introduction of new wearing styles such a conical cap which was dressed by gods and goddess also there were different kind of clothes which were dressed by the Carthaginians, influenced the natives started wearing that kind of clothes. In cities such as Sicily and Sardinia, most of people dressed the Carthaginians clothes; this caused other societies started wearing this kind of clothes. The Barbers sometimes were forced to wear, this clothes because of kind of administration of the Carthaginians which forced everybody who lived in Sicily and Sardinia to wear the Carthaginians.
Emergence of children sacrifice for gods and goddess, this developed for the purpose to make gods respond to remove disasters and evils within the Carthage. Therefore was conducted in special in the set places especially ‘tophet’. What such cemeteries were called in Punic is not known, where as tophet (with other transliterations like topet, topheth, tofet) was, according to the Old Testament, the name of a site in the narrow valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem, in which male children were sacrificed to the Carthaginian gods and goddess until the late 7th Century .The Carthaginians believed in human sacrifice and when they did sacrifices to gods and goddess their needs were successful, this caused other societies started believing in gods and goddess such as Baal Hammon and Tanit.
Finally, the Carthaginians were successful to spread their culture to North African People such as wearing styles, language, arts and building temples and houses. Before the coming of the Carthaginians, the Berbers had their own culture like wearing styles, worshiping and building house, after coming of the Carthaginian in North Africa the natives abandoned their culture and started following the Carthaginians culture voluntary or involuntary.
REFERENCES
Hoyos, D. (2010), The Carthaginians: New York: Taylor & Francis e-library.
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