Humans have slept on beds for their entire existence

It was so easy that even a caveman could do it.

Humans have been sleeping in beds for almost as long as they roam the earth, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

At the world-famous Border Cave excavation site in South Africa, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of grass mats dating back 200,000 years – more than 100,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to the study. Researchers say the discovery demonstrates “cognitive, behavioral and social complexity” more commonly seen in much newer civilizations, Science Alert reports.

This is because prehistoric sleep bags used a surprisingly sophisticated system of grass piled on top of ashes from a fireplace or burnt plants, which would have been used to deter pests.

“We believe that laying grass litter over ash was a deliberate strategy, not only to create an insulated, dirt-free base for the litter, but also to repel crawling insects,” said Lyn Wadley, lead author of the litter. study, professor of archeology at the University of Johannesberg. of the Witwatersrand, said in a press release.

Inventions evoking Flinstone also likely doubled as workspace – as evidenced by the fact that the beds contained shards of stone from the tools used in their making.

In addition to being multifaceted, ancient mattresses also provide important clues to the decorative habits of early humans. Wadley noted that “many tiny, rounded grains of red and orange ocher have been found in bedding where they may have rubbed off human skin or colored objects.”

From this single finding, we can deduce that for almost as long as they are alive, humans have adorned their homes with ocher; knew the best places to sleep; used their beds as workstations; and could produce fire at will and use it as an insect repellent.

“Such strategies would have had health benefits that benefited these early communities,” said Wadley.

This is not the first discovery to change the modern perceptions of the first peoples. In December, a caver came across an Indonesian rock painting of a hunting scene that may be the world’s oldest story.