Images from the Ancient Near East
Female figurines - Terra cotta 5000 BCE. Sites from this period yield an abundance of terra cotta representations of woman with exaggerated hips and breasts, convincing evidence that the agro pastoral communities at the time were very much concerned with fertility as a fundamental principle of survival. This type of fertility symbol-called a mother goddess by some-appeared in the Near East at the end of the ninth millennium and continued in various related styles of representation for several more millennia.
Terra cotta wagons 2500 BCE. Carts were developed towards the end of the 4th millennium. At first, they were drawn by asses or oxen, which were preferable for transporting heavy loads. The two-wheeled model is called a cart. Since wagons were slow, going no more than 15 km per day, they could be used only on fairly flat land. It was more profitable to transport goods on the backs of asses, since these animals could travel over uneven terrain and cover a distance of 20 km per day.
Writing is inextricably associated with the evolution of agriculture. These 5 Sumerian clay tablets dating to 3000 BCE appear to be associated with crops and livestock.