In 2017, scientists discovered cat’s paw prints on a Roman roof tile from the 1st century CE. The discovery took place in eastern England, during construction work for a new road.
Most of the houses in that region were made of wood or thatch in ancient times. However, there were also buildings of wealthy Romans, where tiles dominated.
But where did the traces on the roof tiles come from? Scientists suspect that the cat – wild or domestic – probably walked on freshly made roof tiles, which were allowed to dry in the air before going to the kiln. Traces of other animals have also been found in the region, e.g. deer and dog.
