Some ancient Egyptian sarcophagi were anthropomorphic.
The Greek word sarkophágos , which can be translated as "meat-eater" , came into Latin as sarcophăgum . That is the closest etymological antecedent of sarcophagus , a term used to refer to the structure used to bury a corpse .
a tomb
A sarcophagus, therefore, is a tomb . These works are erected on the surface to bury an individual or even several individuals.
It can be said that a sarcophagus functions as a receptacle or container . Inside it houses the coffin , which is the box where the person's remains are usually deposited for burial or cremation.
Sarcophagi were very important in Ancient Egypt . When a member of royalty died, he or she was subjected to a mummification and embalming process in a ritual associated with promoting eternal life. The corpse was then placed in the sarcophagus and left in a pyramid or other monumental construction.
Many Egyptian sarcophagi were anthropomorphic and featured precious stones. For example, the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun (pharaoh who died in 1327 BC) was discovered by the English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 , a discovery that allowed us to learn how those funerary rites were carried out.
Sarcophagus of Martos
In 1896, in the context of the remodeling of a mill, workers discovered to their surprise a sarcophagus considered early Christian , since its development took place sometime between the year 1 and 500 AD . It received this name because the city in which it was found is Martos, in the Spanish province of Jaén.
Regarding the approximate date of its manufacture, it is estimated that it took place at the beginning of the 4th century. At its base you can see images from the New Testament , including different miracles of Christ. On its cover, however, the motif is the Old Testament . It was made of marble by Italian craftsmen, supposedly for the burial of a former bishop of the diocese of Tucci.
As a proper name
Sarcófago , on the other hand, was the name of a death metal and black metal band that was founded in 1985 in Brazil and was active until 2000 . The group featured Wagner Lamounier as leader, who before forming Sarcófago had been the first singer of Sepultura , another well-known Brazilian heavy rock group.
Their debut album, titled INRI , has one of the most influential covers in the world of black metal, in addition to its importance for the so-called corpse paint , a makeup style that is based on the combination of black and white to highlight the supposed "evil" and "anti-humanity" of the members of the bands of these genres. As if all this were not enough, the album itself is considered fundamental to the development of the musical style.
The Chernobyl sarcophagus is a structure that was erected around the nuclear power plant.
Other meanings
At the beginning of this article we took a look at the etymology of this term, which gives us a somewhat peculiar meaning, "that eats meat." However, there is a species of fly belonging to the family that bears this name and it is precisely known as the "meat fly." The explanation lies in the fact that it deposits its larvae in manure and carrion, in addition to the live skin of various animals, our species included. In this way, it can be said that they feed on tissues that include meat to develop.
On the other hand, we have the use of the term sarcophagus to refer to a large structure that was erected around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant with the purpose of containing contamination and protecting the surroundings after the terrible accident on April 26, 1986. which caused a radioactive cloud tens of thousands of kilometers around.