5,000-Year-Old Throne in Turkey May Be First Evidence of Birth of Secular State System

The remaining fragments of what was believed to be a wooden throne in Turkey has archaeologists wondering if they’ve found the world’s first evidence of a secular state governance system.

The possible seat or throne, dating to 5,000 years ago, was situated on adobe clay platforms raised above the floor by three steps. Burnt wooden pieces were discovered on the top of the tallest base. This was all found within a room which opened into a courtyard.

Marcella Frangipane of La Sapienza University in Rome is excavation director at Aslantepe in Malyata Province, Turkey, an archaeological site which is dated to the fourth millennium BC. Digs have recently revealed the ruins of a complex featuring two temples, storage rooms, and corridors. Some of the walls were found decorated with black and red designs and geometrical patterns.