What

A Sarcophagus is a stone container that holds a coffin of the deceased. Historically, persons of high birth (kings, pharaohs) were buried in a sarcophagus – usually highly decorated, inscribed with symbols and prayers and inlaid with precious metals and stones as a tribute to the deceased individual laid to rest within.

Today, many cemeteries require the use of a “burial vault” – a concrete structure that surrounds a casket in the ground. These burial vaults are very similar, in theory, to a sarcophagus. The purpose, of course, is a little different – the burial vault is usually required to make sure the ground above a casket stays level, for safety and groundskeeping purposes.