They were widely used in the Mesopotamia , Greece , Egypt , Ethiopia , and , quite independently , in China and some Buddhist cultures , and , more surely independently , by Mesoamerican civilisations , especially the Olmec and Maya . They were widely used in the Ancient Near East , Mesopotamia , Greece , Egypt , Ethiopia , and , most likely independently , in China and elsewhere in the Far East , and , more surely independently , by Mesoamerican civilisations , notably the Olmec and Maya .