\paperw2895 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 \fs22 The extension of the defensive system along the coastline in the second century BC permitted the expansion of the city
as far as the sea walls. It is in this area that the large houses of the wealthiest inhabitants of Carthage were located, with rooms facing onto an inner court in the plan typical of the Punic world. The acropolis of Byrsa, which had its own ring of for
tifications and contained the shrine of the god \b \cf4 \ATXht3139 Eshmun (Asclepius)\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , was built on three low hills and represented the Carthaginian's last bulwark of defense against the Romans. \par
The districts inhabited by the commo
n people were situated at the foot of the \b \cf1 \ATXht1 acropolis\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 : the historian Appianus speaks of houses of five or six stories, packed closely together. \par
The \b \cf1 \ATXht14 necropolises\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 extended to the northe
ast of the acropolis; numerous anthropomorphic sarcophagi have been found in them. In Carthage the dead were generally buried in pit, dromic, or well tombs, but the rite of cremation began to take hold from the beginning of the third century BC onward, a
s a result of Greek influence.\par
The harbor was located in the area to the south of the promontory and consisted of two basins dug out of the rock: \par
a rectangular one used by merchant vessels and a circular one for warships. In the center of the
latter stood the small island of the admiralty, with its administrative buildings. Both the island and the harbor were lined with quays that could accommodate up to 220 ships. In front of each wharf stood two Ionic columns, conferring the appearance of a
n enormous colonnade on the circumference of the harbor and island. When the warships were not in service they were beached in covered and sloping dry docks, set in line with the wharves. The tophet was located about fifty meters from the rectangular bas
