Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn New York
Sarcophagus tombs are designed to look like coffins. Most often they are set on a platform or a base. The tomb is often embellished with ornamentation and nearly always has feet–but the “coffin” is empty–just an empty symbol of the receptacle. This style of burial monument is ancient.
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York
The word, sarcophagus, is derived from two ancient Greek words, sarx, which meant flesh and phagein meaning to eat. The two words together, sarkophagus, meant flesh eating. The term came from the limestone used by the ancient Greeks to bury the dead which was thought to decompose the flesh of the deceased.
Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York
Gravely Speaking 
Those are really good examples of the sarcophagus type of tombs…I had no idea what that term meant… fascinating… one of the many paths I would have enjoyed taking in my life would have been studying etymology in college…no idea what jobs would have been available, but surely their would have been something interesting! I really love words and their unusual histories!
Are these particular to New York? I’ve only see one in Quebec City and the guy had relations in New York. Can send you a pic if you want. Thank you.
Please send me the picture–I’d love to see it. My email address is douglasrife1016@gmail.com