Stone sarcophagus of Pharaoh Merenptah.

Constantinople Christian sarcophagus with XI monogram, circa 400 A.D.

A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos (λιθος σαρκοφάγος). Since lithos is Greek for stone, lithos sarcophagos means 'flesh eating stone'. The word came to refer to a particular kind of limestone that was thought to decompose the flesh of corpses interred within it.^[1][2]

Common forms[link]

Roman-era sarcophagi at Worms, Germany.

"Sarcophagi were undoubtedly used by the Egyptians prior to the building of the Great Pyramid, but it was not until after the days of Trajan that the Greeks and Romans produced the monumental and richly sculptured examples which are found in the museums of Europe today." ^[3]

Sarcophagi were most often designed to remain above ground, hence were often ornately carved, decorated or elaborately constructed. Some were built to be freestanding, as a part of an elaborate tomb or series of tombs, while others were intended for placement in crypts. In Ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus formed the external layer of protection for a royal mummy, with several layers of coffins nested within, and was often carved out of alabaster.

Sarcophagi – sometimes metal or plaster as well as limestone – were also used by the ancient Romans until the early Christian burial preference for interment underground, often in a limestone sepulchre, led to their falling out of favor.^[2]

Revival in the United States[link]

Warner Tomb in Laurel Hill Cemetery

Sarcophagi made a return to the cemeteries of America during the last quarter part of the 19th Century, at which time "it was decidedly the most prevalent of all memorials in our cemeteries.". They continued to be popular into the 1950s at which time the popularity of flat memorials (making for easier grounds maintenance) made them obsolete. None-the-less a 1952 catalog from the memorial industry still included 8 pages of them, broken down into, Georgian and Classical detail, a Gothic and Renaissance adaptation, and a Modern variant.^[4] Shown on the right are two sarcophagi from the late 19th Century located in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. the one in the back, the Warner Monument created by Alexander Milne Calder (1879) features the spirit or soul of the deceased being released.

See also[link]

• Early Christian sarcophagi
• List of Egypt-related topics
• List of burials in the Valley of the Kings

Gallery[link]

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  Ancient Roman sarcophagus from Marcianopolis

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  Amazonomachy marble sarcophagus, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

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  Roman sarcophagus from Salona

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  Moabite sarcophagus in Jordan Archaeoligical Museum in Amman

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  The Etruscan

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  Gallo-Roman Christian sarcophagus, Rignieux-le-Franc (Ain), end of 4th century. Louvre Museum.

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  Detail of a stone sarcophagus in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum showing a hunting scene.

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  Robert Todd Lincoln's sarcophagus at Arlington National Cemetery

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sarcophagi

External links[link]

• Egyptian sarcophagi
• sarcaphagi in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum