These paw prints are 4,000 years old

In a statement on the discovery, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism explained that mudbricks were made by mixing soil, water and straw, pouring the mixture into molds and leaving the bricks to dry in the sun. At Tavşanlı Höyük, a dog walked across one of the bricks before it had dried, leaving paw prints that remained on its surface as the mudbrick hardened.

The statement noted that the mudbrick was later used in a house wall before the building, dating to the Bronze Age, was destroyed by fire. It subsequently remained among the rubble. The find provides tangible evidence of everyday life at the ancient settlement.

The paw prints on the mudbrick show how these excavations are documenting not only buildings and artifacts but also small, unexpected details of everyday life in the city around 4,000 years ago.