This hypothesis, although tempting, is now widely questioned following in-depth examination, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, of the various objects found in the tomb.

The cuirass is nowadays kept in the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, as is the archaeological material found in the same tomb.

At the archaeological site of Carthage, excavations were mainly carried out by White Fathers, such as Alfred Louis Delattre.

The cuirass, made in Campania or Apulia,[9] was found on 20 February 1909, during excavations of a Punic tomb with a well[2] during earthworks.

[10] The material in the tomb was, however, damaged during the archaeological excavations: two Amphorae were broken, before being carefully restored using the fragments collected immediately on the spot.

[11] The boards of the sarcophagus, which were damaged during the excavation due to lack of care, are also being restored in the laboratory of the Bardo Museum.

This sarcophagus found in the tomb belongs to a widespread model over a geographical area extending from the Byzacium to Gigthi.

[4] Excavations at the beginning of the 20th century mention only one body lying on its back, the bones having been discovered "rather badly preserved and reduced to crumbs for the most part",[14] coated with a reddish-brown pigment, identified with cinnabar.

[15] Two skeletons were identified in new analyses carried out in Tunisia at the end of the 20th century, one of which belonged to a male individual, 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall and in his forties.

[4] In addition to the sarcophagus and armour, four amphorae,[16] a bowl, a wooden dish (still containing ochre) and a black glazed lamp were uncovered during the same excavation.

[7] Elements of a bronze belt are also found, as are copper metal plates in the sarcophagus that were not reported by Merlin.

[20] Ben Younès points out that many testimonies present in the Punic necropolises excavated at the beginning of the 20th century have disappeared, even though they could have provided much information on this civilisation.

[24] It has a breastplate and a backrest or bib:[9] the faces of this part have three raised circles[25] including a representation of Minerva[22] helmeted.

The latter, discovered at Ruvo di Puglia, is "almost identical" to that of Ksour Essef, "the differences [...] are insignificant", even if the latter is in a poorer state of conservation because it is strongly oxidised.