Archeologists have found the 1st known example of a Roman throne buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius near the city of Pompeii.

The remains were buried 82 feet underground near Herculaneum's Villa dei Papiri, a first century Roman country home that is believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar's father-in-law.

The wooden throne is decorated with ivory bas-reliefs depicting ancient deities Attis and Dionysus, as well as pine cones and phalluses, AP reported.

"It's the first original throne from Roman times to be discovered until today," said Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, Pompeii's archaeological superintendent.

Experts believe the reliefs recall the "Attideia" ceremonies, which commemorated the death and resurrection of the god Attis and were included in the Roman calendar by the Emperor Claudius.

TE/JC/PA