2000-Year-Old Cat Pawprint Found on a Roof Tile

An archaeologist at the Gloucester City Museum in the UK has uncovered evidence that even 2000 years ago, cats were determined to wreak havoc. A cat’s pawprint has been discovered on a roof tile was that first uncovered in Gloucester in 1969 and recently reexamined. Upon second look, the researcher spotted the small but telltale signs of cattitude. 

The mischievous cat likely ran across the drying tegula tile around 100 CE. The town already has a stock of tiles covered in human and dog footprints, but very few cat-printed tiles have been found, a member of the city council told the BBC. 

It’s been a good summer for ancient footprint discoveries. At the end of June, a Canadian university student uncovered a nearly 2000-year-old human footprint on a tile at Vindolanda, the site of an ancient Roman fort in England. The toe impressions were likely left by a kid living between 160 and 180 CE.  

[h/t: BBC]