Ancient Throne Found In Ruins

iTaggit encourages our users to show off their antique furniture collection in our gallery, but this newly unearthed piece leaves most others in the dust. The remnants of the first known surviving Roman throne have been discovered 82 feet below the surface in the buried city of Herculaneum. Herculaneum was engulfed in lava and ash in the year 79 when Mount Vesuvius erupted, killing thousands. Luckily for our generation, the layers of volcanic ash preserved the sites and are providing historical information on what domestic life was like in the ancient world. Even more remarkable about this piece is that it was found in the Villa dei Papiri, a first century country home believed to have been the residence of Julius Caesar's father-in-law. Archaeologists first dug the two legs and part of the back of the wooden throne that was decorated with ivory bas-reliefs depicting Greek mythological figures absorbed by Rome's culture. It is also decorated with images of pine cones and phalluses, as well as images of the gods Attis and Dionysus. A throne of this sort had only been seen in artistic depictions before now. The fragile antique remains will undergo a lengthy restoration while the dig in the Villa dei Papiri continues. The Villa dei Papiri was named as such due to the hundreds of ancient papyruses found in a library, and the site has only been partially excavated.