Premature deaths in Punic Sardinia. The perception of childhood in funerary contexts from Monte Sirai and Villamar

In recent years, several infant burials were brought to light in Phoenician and Punic Sardinia. In particular, the necropolis of Monte Sirai -located in the southwestern part of the island- has a large number of infant and child burials, dating from the 7th to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, some of which have been excavated applying a specific protocol of intervention and a bioarchaeological approach, in order to ensure well-preserved case studies for genetics and microbiological analysis. During the recent excavations in Villamar -a large sector of a Punic cemetery located in central Sardinia- different chamber tombs with infant remains have been explored. The typology of tombs, the features of grave contents and the ritual activities are discussed in this chapter in the framework of the Phoenician and Carthaginian influence over the central Mediterranean.