The throne-base of Shalmaneser III found at Nimrud in 1962 comprises two blocks of yellowish-brown limestone; one block sat close against the east wall of the room (T1) in which it was found, the other fitted tightly to the west side of the first. The dimensions of the throne-base are 2·28 m. (7½ feet) north-south and 3·82 m. (12½ feet) east-west (at centre) respectively.

The east block has a narrow panel of three lines of inscription (the signs being smaller than those of the rest of the inscription) running north-south along the extreme east part of its upper, horizontal, surface, and panels each of twenty lines of inscription running east-west and west-east respectively along the north and south parts of that surface; these panels leave between them an uninscribed portion comprising two-sevenths of the north-south dimension of the block.