1,200 years ago a cat in Jerusalem left the oldest known evidence of “cookie-making” on a clay jug

Archaeologists in Jerusalem discovered a fragment of a 1,200-year-old jug with a small imprint on it. cat “making cookies” – the oldest recorded evidence of a kitten kneading dough.

The team suspects that the cat left its paw print when the potter left the freshly made jug to dry in the sun before firing it in the kiln. The surface of the jug remained moist and malleable for some time, in perfect condition to immortalize the feline passer-by.

“We believe the cat was kneading the dough rather than just resting on the jug because its claws were extended and left deep marks on the clay surface,” he added. Simon Gibsonan archaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who co-led the Mount Zion excavation that revealed the find, told Live Science in e-mail.

Gretchen Cotter, director of the laboratory, noticed traces on a fragment of pottery during post-excavation work. The shape of the small print, which covers part of the cat’s front paw, suggests that the cat rested on the edge of the jug, perhaps for sunbathing. The paw print measures 1.2 inches by 1.2 inches (3 by 3 centimeters), while the arm portion measures 0.8 inches by 0.4 inches (2 by 1 cm).

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“We can only (imagine) it purred as it absorbed the Jerusalem sun,” archaeologists said in a statement Gibson emailed to Live Science.

Cats knead for various reasons. As kittens, they rhythmically stamp their paws on their mother’s body, stimulating the flow of milk. Adult cats also knead, especially when they are with someone who makes them feel safe, because they likely associate this behavior with the comfort they felt as nursing kittens. It is also believed that kneading can help cats get rid of the smell.

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A drawing showing where the cat scratched a small stone — Illustration of kneading marks left on a clay jug, probably by a relaxed and happy cat. (Photo credit: Shimon Gibson/Mount Zion Expedition)

Gibson said a jug with a knead mark would be used to transfer liquids such as water, wine and olive oil in a home setting. It was recovered from the site of an ancient residential district near the top of traditional Mount Zion (the southwestern hill, as opposed to the City of David on the southeastern hill, which was also called “Zion” during the Iron Age and Persian period). There, archaeologists reliably identified other pottery from the Abbasid period (750-1258 AD), which allowed them to date the jar fragment to around the 9th century, Gibson explained.

This means that the cat lived during the period Abbasid Caliphatea dynasty that replaced the previous one Umayyads rule over large areas of the Islamic empire. During this period, Jerusalem was under Islamic rule, but according to Gibson, its inhabitants also included Jews and Christians and, of course, cats.

Gibson said remains of cats dating back to prehistoric times have been found in Israel and were particularly important in Islamic culture during the Abbasid period. “They are mentioned in early Islamic sources, including hadith literature, and the Prophet Muhammad had a great liking for cats,” he added.

In general, markings on ancient pottery – including those from birds, leaves, or creatures such as lizards and snakes – are common, with the most common mark being fingerprints. “Paw prints it is present in large quantities, but there are no claw marks or kneading marks,” Gibson said.

At the Mount Zion site, archaeologists also identified many tiny fingerprints on pottery fragments that likely belonged to the potter’s children, who often added handles to the jars.

For now, the fragment of the jug with the cat print has been processed and will soon be handed over to the Israeli authorities, who will decide what to do with it.