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→Early History
==Early History==
The bed develops as humans began to built long-term settlements or more permanent dwelling places. Before this time, beds were mostly ad hoc construction that would have been made from surrounding materials (e.g., straw or twigs) and often discarded as human populations moved. Early beds were mainly built from wood, straw, or had underlying stone. However, what began to change in early beds is they became raised from the floor. This became needed as many agricultural societies need raised platforms for beds, as stored agricultural food in more permanent settlements began to attract rodents and other pests. Greater use of the physical space , particularly the floors, also meant that raising a platform or level above the floor became needed for early beds(Figure 1).
While platforms of wood or stone raised the bed from the floor, cushioning was needed for a softer sleep. This led to the development of different materials, ranging from textiles stuffed with soft materials such as leaves, to other, less harsh forms of cushioning from basic materials, including feathers. Other innovations included filling a cushion with water, such as used in ancient Persian, which made, essentially, an early form of water bed.
In the Roman period, five different types of beds were known. Beds were used for eating, studying, burying the dead, for lovemaking, and normal sleeping. The Romans differentiated these with different words and this may have also meant that different beds were used for each of these activities.
[[File:3105187 4d8a404b.jpeg|thumbnail|FiguSkara Brae in Orkney, UK, showing an early Neolthic house with platforms for beds.]]
==Cultural Diversity==