the tombs at petra, in the far east of the empire are cut into cliffs, some with elaborate facades in the "baroque" style of the imperial period. the less wealthy made do with smaller tombs, often featuring relief busts over a lengthy inscription. cheaper still were the catacombs of rome, famously used by christians, but also by all religions, with some specialization, such as special jewish sections. these were large systems of narrow tunnels in the soft rock below rome, where niches were sold to the families of the deceased in a very profitable, if rather smelly, trade. decoration included paintings, many of which have survived. the exterior of the tomb resembled that of a garden. beautiful flowers and plants decked the outside of the tombs and made them more flattering to the eye. this was probably were the tradition of bringing flowers to a loved one's grave site began. other items were also added to the outside of the wealthy's tombs to make it more decorative. the burial chamber of the deceased was above ground and stocked with relics that were important to the deceased roman. lack of relics found in excavated tombs was most probably due to grave robbing.