It was a long, long time ago that people discovered the benefits of sleeping on a raised platform. Who knows? Maybe we retained this knowledge from the experience of sleeping in trees or bushes. A raised bed got us further away from insects and other predators, it allowed for air circulation underneath, it kept us dry, and kept our furs and other bedding cleaner than sleeping on the ground. King Tut's tomb was found to contain six beds, some of which look astonishingly modern (shown above). But there has been a lot of experimentation with bed forms and styles over time. Wealthy ancient Romans had different beds for different purposes. Some cultures built beds like shallow boxes to contain the sleeper and bedding. Others went for a full box to stay warm. More bedding was added to make the surface softer, and ropes were strung to replace a hard platform with a surface that had a little more give. The invention of the mattress made for more softness, but also invited insects and other vermin. Read up on the history of beds at BBC Future. -via Everlasting Blort
(Image credit: woodsboy2011)