Terra Cotta Glazed Tile Lion, Mesopotamia, 2800 BC
Some archaeologists believe that the invention of firing clay into tiles and other art forms came simultaneously from the Chinese and the Sumerians from Mesopotamia (the region now known as Iraq.)
Terra Cotta has been a medium of artistic expression and building material since the earliest periods of history. In Mesopotamia 2800 B.C., terra cotta bricks and tiles were made for defensive city walls, floor coverings and wall decoration of important shrines.
Lewis, Brenda Ralph, Great Civilizations: Dempsey Par Publications, UK 1999
