Funerary Altars

A funerary altar is a monument that is shaped like a square altar that normally was found in a temple.  The front face is reminiscent of a cippus but designs could also be placed on the sides and back.  They came in a variety of sizes and designs.  Many look like houses or temples.  They are generally larger than a cippus and so can have larger inscriptions on the face.  The urn (or sarcophagus) was placed in the ground beneath the altar.  Because the altars are block-shaped and larger, they are considerably more expensive than cippi. Elaborate designs on the front of the altar will reduce the space available for the inscription. Some monuments are designed to look like altars as well.  Very large funerary altars can be found on the page describing Large Funerary Monuments.