Text transcribed from original caption.

PHOTO NUMBER:

PC-53593

ARCHEOLOGIST CHALLENGES IDEAS ABOUT RITUAL KILLINGS

CHICAGO--Archeologist Lawrence Stager, left, of the Oriental Institute

of the University of Chicago, is shown with one of his assistants, during

a recent excavation of a burial ground at the ancient city of Cartage --

now Tunisia. The urn near Stager's hand is typical of the vessels that contain

the incinerated remains of children said to have been sacrificed to the gods

by the Carthaginians.

Mr. Stager contends that his findings contradict the theory that animal

sacrifices steadily replaced human sacrifice in Semitic societies

-- the cradles of western civilization. He speculated that religious

motivation might have been the primary one in continuing human sacrifices to the

gods -- where at least 20,000 children were killed in such rites during the

4th and 3rd centuries B.C.-- but believes there may have also been

secondary, economic purposes aimed at limiting the number of inheritors

of wealth.

Credit Must Read:

RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE PHOTO

(Reproduction Rights Not Transferable) (CF-CHI-4D-80-JH)