The cave yielded pieces of cord made of chewed bulrush stems and mats bound with the cord. I believe mats were being made in a similar way at Abu Hureyra, a view also supported by the impressions of matting found during the excavation. Some 7,300 years ago the new technology of pottery making brought great changes to the community. Pottery vessels provided a container in which grains could be soaked and cooked. That made the cereals so much softer that wear on the teeth was significantly reduced, as can be seen in scanning electron micrographs.
Cooked cereal is also tastier and easier to digest.
Cooking releases the carbohydrates from the grain and makes them easy for the digestive system to absorb. One result was porridge, which soon had a dramatic effect on the community's population structure. Much more significant is that once porridge was available, women could give it to infants in place of breast milk. The mothers, too, consumed a diet quite rich in carbohydrates. The result of early weaning and better nourishment was to increase fertility substantially by reducing the interval between births.