Sources. Although wood from palms and trees such as tamarisk and poplar was used extensively in Mesopotamia for building and constructing furniture, larger or harder woods had to be imported. As a result good wood was always a scarce and desirable commodity. Rulers sent expeditions to bring back timber from the eastern Zagros Mountains or the mountains of Lebanon in the west. Modern scholars' lack of knowledge about wood carving is hampered because the climate of Mesopotamia creates an environment in which organic objects are rarely preserved. Occasionally, however, exceptional conditions have preserved evidence for the use of wood.

Uruk Period. Dating from the late fourth millennium B.C.E., a wooden chest or seat was found in the E-ana Precinct at Uruk. At each corner of the chest was an upright post capped in copper. Both the base and uprights were decorated with...