The adorable feline phenomenon of ‘biscuit making’ has taken social media by storm over the past few years, with some owners even dressing up their cat in a baker’s hat and coat and filming them film their process. It’s adorable, and watching cats go into a trance as they grope for blankets, couches, pillows, or stuffed animals (often shaped like cooked treats), brings great joy to cats. parents and viewers.
Recently, it has been discovered that this behavior is not specific to our modern house cats. A 1200-year-old jug fragment was found in Jerusalem by archaeologists, bearing the imprint of a small cat’s biscuit-making efforts, making it the oldest evidence we have of this behavior.
The marks were noticed on the pottery fragment during post-excavation work in the laboratory by lab director Gretchen Cotter.
Dr. Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who co-directed the excavation at Mount Zion that revealed the find, shared that the team believes the print represents kneading rather than just a resting paw. because the “claws were extended. and left deep marks on the surface of the clay. We can only [imagine] that it groans as it absorbs the sun of Jerusalem.”1
It is suspected that the relaxed cat left its prints on a freshly made jug before it was fired in the oven and used to carry liquids such as water, wine, or olive oil. It appears that the surface of the jug was still wet and soft at the time of ‘biscuit making’.
A Claw-some Discovery
The fragment of the jug with the kitty print was recovered from near the top of the traditional Mount Zion on the southwest hill at the site of an ancient settlement. Dr. explained Gibson said the team of archaeologists roughly dated the peat fragment to the ninth century based on other pottery finds that they reliably dated to the Abbasid period (AD 750 to 1258).2 This is not the first time that archaeologists in the area have found evidence of cats in their excavations. Cat remains have been found dating back over 9000 years, and they have even found sculptures of cats dating back 10,000 years.
“Footprints are abundant,” said Dr. Gibson, “but there is no evidence of nails and kneading.”
Archaeologists have also discovered many small fingerprints on pottery shards, likely left by the potter’s sons, who often helped attach the jar handles, at the Mount Zion site. The jug fragment with the kneading cat print is currently being processed and will soon be handed over to the Israeli authorities for further decisions on its preservation and display.
No kneading to say, Humans Have Always Mashed Their Kitty Companions
There are many proposed reasons why a cat purrs, from comfort to showing affection, with instinct generally being the leading inferred explanation. Discovering this 1200-year-old ancient paw print reminds us that some of our favorite cat behaviors are in fact rooted in history, transcending time and place. Chowling is more than just an adorable habit, it connects our beloved cats to their ancient ancestors and connects us to ourselves. Ultimately, these clues remind us of the eternal bond between humans and their biscuit-making kitty companions.
Featured Credit Credit: Shimon Gibson/Mt Zion Expedition, Sourced from Live Science, All rights reserved to copyright owners.
