In 1619, Johannes Kepler conceived one of the first mathematical studies on tessellations. He wrote about regular and semi-regular tessellations and was possibly the first to explain the hexagonal structure of a honeycomb.
1619
Although the practice of tiling has been around for centuries, the study of tessellations in mathematics has a relatively short history. It would seem from looking back in time that the artisans of ancient cultures mastered the art of tessellating without any documented science to explain their creations. In fact, the mathematics of tessellating tiles was not deciphered until the 17th century.