Sarcophagus slab with eagle and crosses

The decorated stone sarcophagus, a centerpiece of the niche tomb, had long been a standard in Early Christian as well as pagan burial in the Mediterranean world. This tradition was continued in medieval Byzantium, although increasingly the body of the deceased was laid to rest below the church paving. The decorated sarcophagus—without a corpse inside it—was maintained as a symbol of the body's presence nearby, and connected this tradition with the earliest Christian burials. Sarcophagi were decorated with a wide range of motifs in relief carving, including intricate floral and vegetal forms, geometric patterns, sacred narratives, and inscriptions naming the deceased.