Archaeologists Find First-ever Evidence of a Cat Kneading
October 30, 2024 9:28 PM Subscribe
I always find these sorts of things to be more telling of history than the big showy stuff. All that time ago a cat was being a cat just like they would today and that's good.
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:36 PM on October 30 [16 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 10:36 PM on October 30 [16 favorites]
It didn't just walk on the raw jar, which is absolutely a thing a cat would do.
Did a raw jar write this article?
posted by AlSweigart at 4:20 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
Did a raw jar write this article?
posted by AlSweigart at 4:20 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
cat-scan, in analog
does anyone dig up the jars down there?
posted by runcifex at 5:12 AM on October 31 [4 favorites]
does anyone dig up the jars down there?
posted by runcifex at 5:12 AM on October 31 [4 favorites]
Adwall. However, the summary tells me most everything I need to know. Except what the evidence was, but luckily our two cats can supply a reconstruction.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:14 AM on October 31
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:14 AM on October 31
The evidence of feline kneading are the imprints of a foreleg and toe beans, and deep penetration marks, not scratches, plausibly made by a cat extending its claws into a clay jug as it lay drying for firing.posted by trig at 6:42 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
> toe beans
posted by saturday_morning at 6:44 AM on October 31 [4 favorites]
posted by saturday_morning at 6:44 AM on October 31 [4 favorites]
"I have no idea how these people got their cat biscuits wedged into their clay jugs, or why."
-- Blue-glazed pottery shard found on Mount Zion, 1927
posted by PlusDistance at 7:44 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
-- Blue-glazed pottery shard found on Mount Zion, 1927
posted by PlusDistance at 7:44 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
Awww.
posted by praemunire at 8:13 AM on October 31 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 8:13 AM on October 31 [1 favorite]
I will note (because my high school art teacher would disapprove if I didn't) that kneading clay is wrong. Kneading works air into whatever is being kneaded (typically dough). Wedging clay works air out of it, to keep it from exploding in the kiln when you fire it. The action looks similar but the end goal is very different.
As my art teacher told us 30-some years ago, you'll either learn to make good clay or good bread, but rarely both.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:39 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
As my art teacher told us 30-some years ago, you'll either learn to make good clay or good bread, but rarely both.
posted by caution live frogs at 9:39 AM on October 31 [5 favorites]
(Also this is a lovely story and I am happy to have learned about toe bean impressions in ancient pottery.)
posted by caution live frogs at 9:40 AM on October 31
posted by caution live frogs at 9:40 AM on October 31
> As my art teacher told us 30-some years ago, you'll either learn to make good clay or good bread, but rarely both.
Sounds like a cooking-challenged ceramics artist to me. There are lots of musicians who can play both jazz/pop/dance and classical with equal (high) proficiency.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 10:35 AM on October 31
Sounds like a cooking-challenged ceramics artist to me. There are lots of musicians who can play both jazz/pop/dance and classical with equal (high) proficiency.
posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 10:35 AM on October 31
TOE BEANS
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:00 AM on October 31 [2 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:00 AM on October 31 [2 favorites]
awww kitty
posted by supermedusa at 11:28 AM on October 31
posted by supermedusa at 11:28 AM on October 31
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posted by rebent at 10:07 PM on October 30 [4 favorites]