In the ancient Mediterranean world, the earliest-known mosaics, which date to the 8th century B.C., were made of large, water-smoothed pebbles arranged in geometric patterns. Over time, they were made of tiny pieces of glass or stone, called tesserae, which were used to create intricate patterns and images on the floors, walls, and ceilings of public and private spaces. By the Roman and Byzantine periods, an empire-wide trade existed for luxurious materials, such as marble and granite, which were used in th
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