The history of mosaics goes back some 4,000 years or more, with the use of terracotta cones pushed point-first into the background to give decoration. In the eighth century BC,  pebbles were used in pavements to give a textured look and feel, with different colored stones to create patterns, although they were mostly as unstructured decoration. Around four centuries BC, the Greeks, raised the pebble technique to an art form, creating precise geometric patterns and detailed scenes of people and animals.  Continue reading History of Mosaics