Sarcophagus (Tomb) function.

My assumption is that the fans started calling them sarcophagi due to the way they look in most of the trailer shots. However, in this image from the Featurette: [img]http://masempul.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/still-in-there.jpg[/img] It's obvious that they are translucent. I assume they are stasis (cryo) beds of some sort. 3 of the 4 have what look like chest-burster holes in them. Presumably the one living Engineer comes out of the one that opens. That's all I know.

[b]wicked[/b]

Chestburster holes? Wow, any thoughts on that being part of their life cycle or purpose? Are these guys sacrificial subjects of the kings? Religious connotations of giving life through death, resurection through implanting little jocks, eggs or face huggies to reproduce themselves?

It looks like the outline of someone lying in the casket.

@karstenphd & @Tokyokid I think the 3 were unwitting victims of xenos (or something similar to xenos). I assume that they awoke from having been attacked and impregnated by face huggers and either didn't know that they were impregnated or were hopeful that they could receive medical attention before the "births." It appears to me that the infant zenos were born anyway and managed their way out of the enclosures. I am assuming that the bodies of the 3 dead Engineers are still in there. My suppositions are based on the fact that the holes in the pods appear to have been created from the inside out.

Evidence of their bio-weapon going awry like what happened on the derelict on LV-426 (yes, I'm in the club that maintains that that derelict has been there long, long (like a million years) before the events we're going to see during Prometheus)? I seem to be seeing a pattern of this particular bio-weapon being really hard to control (i.e. Alien Res.). Hmmm...Not surprising.

@abordoli......"yes, I'm in the club that maintains that that derelict has been there long, long (like a million years) before the events we're going to see during Prometheus)" I see what you are saying but how can a derelict ship maintain power to keep the green mist on the eggs as well as the distress signal going for that many years?

@Shilliam Watner [img]http://www.memedr.com/images/109-ancient-aliens-because-aliens-thats-why.jpg[/img]

If they are going for the Derelict on LV426 as not the same one in this movie and that its been there for a long time, well i think it could had been but just not for Millions of years.... Maybe thousands? Oh and yes thats a good point we do see holes in those cryo pods if thats what they are most likely to be, all but one. The Hologram shows 4 Engineers, there are 4 Cryo Pods, the one Engineer in that scene does not look as Hollographic as the others and seems to be walking towards David. Maybe indeed we have one rogue Engineer here who has killed off his race, sounds odd but hey we get some humans pushed to the limits where they want to kill off as many of their race for no real reasons. If you look at the Giger Xeno life cycle it clearly shows that a Engineer is restraining another one so it can get Face Hugged. So maybe the Engineers are not evil.... just that one is well has a screw lose and decides to take out the other Benevolent Jockeys.

Big Dave I never considered sabatoge based on rescources, survival. I agree think that the Giger mural of their lifecycle may be screaming whats going on. Sukkal, I wonder if the three chest bursters, kids, whatever are still lurking or lazing about the ship, and have anything to do with or are those corpses scattered around the temple?

Sarcaphagus generally implies a stone coffin and that term was used in Alien vs. predator describing the stone coffins the bodies were lying on with their chest burst open. What I find most interesting is the fact this ship has not left but rather waiting for something. One cryo bed has had it's SJ's chest explode. Were these SJ's waiting for ever and ever til humans or another form of life find it and activate it's systems. The SJ's are obviously aware of these xenomorphs and their abilities of survival/destruction. Especially, the acid for blood! Is this ship meant to be a planetary self destruct mechanism for whatever species planet finds it....likely earth though because of all the temple and pyramids showing the star map. If so why? How long are these SJ's meant to sleep for since it's obvious this ship isn't going anywhere until it's activated by David8. (speculation). If there are means of security (biomechanoids) in this ship/temple. What purpose is this ship if the humans were to die before ever reaching and activating the control room. I tell ya, based on what I have seen my brain is going crazy trying to get a picture. Thats a good thing too!