The potter’s wheel (which is still used in many parts of the world today) was in use in Egypt as far back as 5,000 years
ago. Not surprisingly - considering that Egypt is a desert where sand is plentiful – it was also the Egyptians who first discovered the technique for making glass. They used colored glass, and they also used glass in combination with clay, to make glazed pottery. The smaller nations on the edge of the Mediterranean (including Greece) learned much from the Egyptians.
In their palaces in Nineveh, the Assyrians carved long friezes depicting the events in their lives. The Assyrians also built circular domes over their palaces. They used wood – along with ivory – to make their royal thrones. They were also fine craftsmen in gold, silver and bronze. Unlike the Assyrians (and the Chaldeans), when the Persians conquered Babylon, they did not raze these cities to the ground; but saved their works of art. Indeed, they took ideas from many of the conquered peoples, and developed a syncretic form of art. Examples of their art have been found in Persepolis.
Greek civilization first arose upon the island nation of Crete. The rites and ceremonies of the Minoans – named after the legendary King Minos – were shown in frescoes (painted plaster). Unlike the dignity of Egyptian art, these pictures flow with life and action. And their pottery was much finer than Egyptian pottery. Many of their bronze tools, weapons and ornaments have been found in the magnificent palace of Knossos. From Crete, Greek ideas and civilization first spread to the mainland of Greece and then onto the islands of the Aegean Sea and Asia Minor (Turkey).
Unlike the Egyptian monuments (that were built on a massive scale), Greek architecture was much more graceful. Though they borrowed from the Egyptians, they built their statues and monuments out of a sense of aesthetics and / or beauty . They gave birth to many famous artists; and their work still influences our art even today.