Neither the words nor the concepts "science" and "nature" were part of the conceptual landscape in the ancient near east.[30] The ancient Mesopotamians used knowledge about the properties of various natural chemicals for manufacturing pottery, faience, glass, soap, metals, lime plaster, and waterproofing;[31] they also studied animal physiology, anatomy, and behavior for divinatory purposes[31] and made extensive records of the movements of astronomical objects for their study of astrology.[32] The Mesopotamians had intense interest in medicine[31] and the earliest medical prescriptions appear in Sumerian during the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2112 BCE – c. 2004 BCE).[33] Nonetheless, the Mesopotamians seem to have had little interest in gathering information about the natural world for the mere sake of gathering information[31] and mainly only studied scientific subjects which had obvious practical applications or immediate relevance to their religious system.[31]