The adorable feline phenomenon of ‘biscuit-making’ has taken social media by storm over the past few years, with some owners even going so far as dressing up their kitty in a baker’s hat and coat and filming them during their process. It’s adorable, and watching the cats go into their trance as they paw at blankets, couches, pillows, or stuffed animals (often shaped like baked goods), brings so much joy to parents and viewers alike.
Recently, it was discovered that this habit is not specific to our modern-day housecats. A 1200-year-old jug fragment was found in Jerusalem by archaeologists, that has an imprint of a small cat’s biscuit-making endeavors, making it the oldest evidence we have of this behavior.
The markings were noticed on the pottery fragment during post-excavation work in the laboratory by the lab director Gretchen Cotter.
Dr. Shimon Gibson, an archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who co-directed the Mount Zion excavation that revealed the finding, shared that the team believes the print represents kneading rather than just a resting paw because the “claws were extended and left deep marks in the clay surface. We can only [imagine] that it was purring as it soaked up the Jerusalem sun.”1
It is suspected that the relaxed cat left its prints in a freshly made jug before it was kiln-fired and used to carry liquids such as water, wine, or olive oil. It appears that the jug’s surface was still wet and malleable at the time of the ‘biscuit-making’.
A Claw-some Discovery
The jug fragment with the kitty print was recovered from near the summit of the traditional Mount Zion on the southwestern hill at a site of an ancient residential quarter. Dr. Gibson explained that the archaeologist team was able to roughly date the jug fragment to the ninth century based on other findings of pottery that they reliably dated to be from the Abbasid period (A.D. 750 to 1258).2 This is not the first time archaeologists in the area have found evidence of cats in their excavations. Feline remains have been discovered dating back over 9000 years, and they have even found sculptures of cats dating back 10,000 years.
“Pawprints exist in abundance,” said Dr. Gibson, “but not with evidence of claws and kneading.”
The archaeologists also discovered numerous small fingerprints on pottery fragments, likely left by the potter’s children, who often helped attach jar handles, at the Mount Zion site. The jug fragment bearing the cat’s kneading print is currently being processed and will soon be handed over to Israeli authorities for further decisions on its preservation and display.
Kneadless to Say, Humans Have Always Kneaded Their Kitty Companions
There are many suggested reasons why a cat kneads, from comfort to showing love, with instinct generally being the top-inferred explanation. In discovering this 1200-year-old ancient paw print, we’re reminded that some of our favorite feline behaviors are in fact rooted in their history, transcending time and place. Kneading is more than just an adorable habit, it connects our beloved cats to their ancient ancestors and connects us to ours. Ultimately, these traces remind us of the timeless bond between humans and their biscuit-making kitty companions.
Featured Image Credit: Shimon Gibson/Mt Zion Expedition, Sourced from Live Science, All rights reserved to the copyright owners.