That is a mosaic in that time has become the most convenient and common way of finishing. The first and, accordingly, the most primitive set of mosaic technique originated in the Middle East. It was called opus barbaricum (opus barbarikum). Significant improvement in this technique was in Greece. This mosaic compiled from the sea or river pebbles, but it was not too bright and expressive.
They are found in shrines and temples of Ancient Greece starting with the VII – VI century BC (Sanctuary of Artemis Ortii in Sparta, Athens Pronoia temple at Delphi). They also found in Spain, Sicily (mosaic from Carthage Motii, in the palace of Ai Khanum in Afghanistan) and in the capital of Macedonia (mosaic IV-III centuries BC. er. which are models of monochrome painting, such as 'Dionysus on leopard', 'deer hunting', 'The hunt for the lion'). Colored mosaic floor made of stone When the time scenic opportunities technology barbarikum practically exhausted themselves. Artists mosaicists switched to using crushed minerals. This led to the invention of new techniques.
The need for new technology was also due to the advent of new aesthetic principles, including the need to comply with local color and form to the image without requiring the use of lead or terracotta tsvetorazdelitelnyh and plates depicting typical barbarikum. Technology inlaid mosaic of fragmented pieces of stone was named opus tesselatum (opus tesselatum) on the original item – a cube-shaped stones – tessera. Initially appeared in a mosaic tesserae set sufficiently randomly and mainly pebble paving, then, as the development of technologies and techniques for working with tesselirovannoy mosaics and awareness of its scenic qualities, from start to gain Tesser fragments or individual sections mosaic.