Our August Object of the Month is just puuurfect!

August’s object of the month is a roof tile from around 100 CE. Many homes in Roman Gloucester would have had roofs made from tiles like this. What makes this tile is special is what is on it- a cat's paw print.

This particular “tegula” tile was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969. However, it was only in 2015 when the cat’s paw print was noticed.

When Romans made roof tiles, they left the wet clay out to dry in the sun. As this tile was made for a roof, functionality was prioritized instead of appearance. Human shoe prints were more common, but examples of other animal’s prints have also been found on Roman tiles.

It’s possible the marks were made by a pet because they are small and more befitting of a domestic cat than a wild cat. But Gloucester was also a Roman port so there were ships coming in, probably with lots of rats and mice on them. This means that cats would have been useful to have around. Either way, this cat certainly left its mark in history!