15.1.Ceramics and Civilization 289 FiGURE 15.1.Baked clay fig- urine called the "Venus of Vestonice"found in 1920 in the Czech Republic.Approxi- mate age:23,000 B.C. structures.In other instances,pressed clay bricks formed in bas- kets were used (called adobe)which were sometimes fortified with straw.(This constitutes one of the first examples of the pro- duction of a composite material,that is,a technique to strengthen clay by fibers.)Additionally,asphalt from natural oil wells was sometimes used as mortar.However,buildings of this type were highly vulnerable to the weather.They easily crumbled and thus needed constant renewal (except for cliff-dwellings;see Plate 15.11).As a consequence,layers of settlements were often built on top of previous ones,creating a mound of occupation debris (called a tell or a tall).This is characteristic for ruins found in Mesopotamia.Mass production of bricks was not performed in this region until the sixth millennium B.C.,probably because of a shortage of fuel.Later,however,that is,in the sixth century B.C.,the buildings of Babylon utilized fired and glazed bricks(see Plate 15.5). As outlined above,pottery-making is one of the oldest forms of crafts.The resulting vessels are quite useful for storing prop-structures. In other instances, pressed clay bricks formed in bas￾kets were used (called adobe) which were sometimes fortified with straw. (This constitutes one of the first examples of the pro￾duction of a composite material, that is, a technique to strengthen clay by fibers.) Additionally, asphalt from natural oil wells was sometimes used as mortar. However, buildings of this type were highly vulnerable to the weather. They easily crumbled and thus needed constant renewal (except for cliff-dwellings; see Plate 15.11). As a consequence, layers of settlements were often built on top of previous ones, creating a mound of occupation debris (called a tell or a tall). This is characteristic for ruins found in Mesopotamia. Mass production of bricks was not performed in this region until the sixth millennium B.C., probably because of a shortage of fuel. Later, however, that is, in the sixth century B.C., the buildings of Babylon utilized fired and glazed bricks (see Plate 15.5). As outlined above, pottery-making is one of the oldest forms of crafts. The resulting vessels are quite useful for storing prop- 15.1 • Ceramics and Civilization 289 FIGURE 15.1. Baked clay fig￾urine called the “Venus of Veˇstonice” found in 1920 in the Czech Republic. Approxi￾mate age: 23,000 B.C