Rome - An ancient Roman wood and ivory throne has been unearthed at a dig in Herculaneum, Italian archaeologists said, hailing it as the most significant piece of wooden furniture ever discovered there.
The throne was found during an excavation in the Villa of the Papyri, the private house formerly belonging to Julius Caesar's father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, built on the slope of Mount Vesuvius.
The name of the villa derives from the impressive library containing thousands of scrolls of papyrus discovered buried under meters (yards) of volcanic ash after the Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79.
Little is known about how the throne would have been used but the elaborate decorations discovered on the chair celebrate the mysterious cult figure of Attis.
The most precious relief shows Attis, a life-death-rebirth deity, collecting a pine cone next to a sacred pine tree. Other ornaments show leaves and flowers suggesting the theme of the throne is that of spring and fertility.
The cult of Attis is documented to have been strong in Herculaneum the first century AD.
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Full Version: Rare ancient throne found in Herculanen
That's soooo cool. I can't believe they're still finding things. From that time! Good for them.
QUOTE (Owlscrying @ Dec 5 2007, 03:21 AM) 
Rome - An ancient Roman wood and ivory throne has been unearthed at a dig in Herculaneum, Italian archaeologists said, hailing it as the most significant piece of wooden furniture ever discovered there.
The throne was found during an excavation in the Villa of the Papyri, the private house formerly belonging to Julius Caesar's father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, built on the slope of Mount Vesuvius.
The name of the villa derives from the impressive library containing thousands of scrolls of papyrus discovered buried under meters (yards) of volcanic ash after the Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79.
Little is known about how the throne would have been used but the elaborate decorations discovered on the chair celebrate the mysterious cult figure of Attis.
The most precious relief shows Attis, a life-death-rebirth deity, collecting a pine cone next to a sacred pine tree. Other ornaments show leaves and flowers suggesting the theme of the throne is that of spring and fertility.
The cult of Attis is documented to have been strong in Herculaneum the first century AD.
go
The throne was found during an excavation in the Villa of the Papyri, the private house formerly belonging to Julius Caesar's father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, built on the slope of Mount Vesuvius.
The name of the villa derives from the impressive library containing thousands of scrolls of papyrus discovered buried under meters (yards) of volcanic ash after the Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79.
Little is known about how the throne would have been used but the elaborate decorations discovered on the chair celebrate the mysterious cult figure of Attis.
The most precious relief shows Attis, a life-death-rebirth deity, collecting a pine cone next to a sacred pine tree. Other ornaments show leaves and flowers suggesting the theme of the throne is that of spring and fertility.
The cult of Attis is documented to have been strong in Herculaneum the first century AD.
go
The throne discovery is interesting but it's the first i've heard about the library discovery. Does anyone know anything more about it?
QUOTE (MoonPrincess @ Dec 5 2007, 09:15 AM)
That's soooo cool. I can't believe they're still finding things. From that time! Good for them.
They are experimenting with ways to read the carbonized scrolls. I they succeed we will probably quadruple our knowledge of ancient Rome from that one villa's library, which far exceeds all the known Roman books in the World!
QUOTE (draconic chronicler @ Dec 7 2007, 05:39 PM)
They are experimenting with ways to read the carbonized scrolls. I they succeed we will probably quadruple our knowledge of ancient Rome from that one villa's library, which far exceeds all the known Roman books in the World!
I hope they can so it! That would be so amazing.
QUOTE (draconic chronicler @ Dec 7 2007, 08:39 PM)
They are experimenting with ways to read the carbonized scrolls. I they succeed we will probably quadruple our knowledge of ancient Rome from that one villa's library, which far exceeds all the known Roman books in the World!
Still pretty cool, Draconic. Now matter how you look at it.
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