| This Mesopotamian terra-cotta urn (Iraq Museum, Baghdād) from the Neolithic Period dates back to between 5000 and 3000 bc. Found in the Middle East, the urn exhibits a design representative of ancient Persian art. Called “animal style,” the decoration on the vase features animals, in this case fish, used in a symbolic manner. Because ancient nomadic tribes in the Middle East left no written records or permanent monuments, the artwork buried with their dead provides the most useful information about them. |