The History of Early Beds in the Orkney Islands

The world's oldest known mattress was found in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it dates back roughly to the year 3600 BCE. The shape of the hollows suggests that these early humans slept cowed up like a ball, probably for warmth. Likely, they would have slept on mattresses woven from the sturdy heather that grows wild across the Orkney Islands. They also likely slept under furs to keep warm on chilly orkney nights when the wind hound and the sea lashed at the shore.

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