Terracotta has a long and eventful history through its earliest recorded usage until now. Translated literally as “baked clay”, terracotta was first used in ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley. Used for everything from bowls, pots, and other vessels, to bricks and sculptures, baked clay appears in the historical record the world over. More than 5000 years ago, in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, clay pots were used for growing herbs and other sacred plants.