Ancient adobe throne comes to light

MALATYA – Anadolu Agency

AA Photos

This year’s excavations at the ancient Aslantepe site in the eastern province of Malatya have unearthed an adobe throne, estimated to date back to some 5,000 years ago. 

Rome’s La Sapienza University academic and Aslantepe excavations head Professor Marcella Frangipane said they had started work in the beginning of August and continued in two different spots. 

She said they had found an adobe throne from 3,000 B.C. used by kings or city executives, adding it was a very important finding. 

Frangipane said the throne was found in a section of the palace which they thought served as a public building, and it was made of adobe, which is also the construction material of the palace.

She said they also unearthed burned pieces of wood inside the palace, adding, “It might have been be used as a platform to sit on the throne.” 

Frangipane said the area around the throne was not a temple, adding there were also two window divisions behind the throne.


The professor said the public building inside the palace in Aslantepe was very big, and continued: 

“It has very big walls, two meters thick. Maybe the building has two stories or maybe more. The building is not a temple but a king’s building, which is important. A secular system started in Aslantepe with this palace system. We don’t know exactly but we have found something like this for the first time. The state system starts at this point. There is a small platform in the yard for people to appear before the king. A ceremony is organized for anything but this is not for religion; it shows the power of the state and the king. It is very important to find out how the state system started. This is why Aslantepe is very important.”

Frangipane said with the new discoveries and the existence of the palace, the number of tourists visiting the region would increase. 

“There is not such a big and old building in any other place. We took it under protection. We found the gate of the palace 30 years ago. It was still the same. There are paintings on the walls, they still exist, too. They should be covered against humidity. We will organize a tour for tourists. They can see such a wall only here,” she said, adding the municipality and Culture and Tourism Ministry provincial director would assist them for a new project.