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posted by martyb on Saturday August 15 2020, @01:20AM   Printer-friendly
from the now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep... dept.

200,000 years ago, humans preferred to sleep in beds:

Researchers in South Africa's Border Cave, a well-known archeological site perched on a cliff between eSwatini (Swaziland) and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, have found evidence that people have been using grass bedding to create comfortable areas for sleeping and working on at least 200,000 years ago.

These beds, consisting of sheaves of grass of the broad-leafed Panicoideae subfamily were placed near the back of the cave on ash layers. The layers of ash was used to protect the people against crawling insects while sleeping. Today, the bedding layers are visually ephemeral traces of silicified grass, but they can be identified using high magnification and chemical characterisation.

Remains of camphor bush was also found in the bedding, which is used in East Africa to deter insects.

Journal Reference:
Lyn Wadley, Irene Esteban, Paloma de la Peña,, et al. Fire and grass-bedding construction 200 thousand years ago at Border Cave, South Africa [$], Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7239)


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  • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday August 15 2020, @07:16AM (6 children)

    by RamiK (1813) on Saturday August 15 2020, @07:16AM (#1036989)

    Probably poke a few air holes in the lid, of course.

    Even with the lid open, coffins don't have enough air flow to do away with the humidity and CO2. If you dig hard enough I'm sure you could find the actual figures and formulas behind infant bassinet and crib design regulations. Regardless, how are you going to launder the side walls bedding?

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  • (Score: 2) by acid andy on Saturday August 15 2020, @09:51AM (2 children)

    by acid andy (1683) on Saturday August 15 2020, @09:51AM (#1037021) Homepage Journal

    Regardless, how are you going to launder the side walls bedding?

    With his tongue of course. Do I have to do everything for you? Use your imagination!

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    • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday August 15 2020, @10:56AM

      by RamiK (1813) on Saturday August 15 2020, @10:56AM (#1037029)

      See now the wall bedding are glued/nailed to the coffin's walls in the same way you'd furnish seats...

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    • (Score: 2) by Subsentient on Saturday August 15 2020, @11:18AM

      by Subsentient (1111) on Saturday August 15 2020, @11:18AM (#1037033) Homepage Journal

      Finally, someone with common sense.

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      "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
  • (Score: 2) by Subsentient on Saturday August 15 2020, @11:24AM (1 child)

    by Subsentient (1111) on Saturday August 15 2020, @11:24AM (#1037034) Homepage Journal

    I could cut a mount for a couple PC case fans into the side for airflow. If it's good enough for a motherboard, it's good enough for me.

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    "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
    • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Sunday August 16 2020, @09:27AM

      by RamiK (1813) on Sunday August 16 2020, @09:27AM (#1037404)

      Other comment mentioned hyperbaric chambers. Look into that.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Saturday August 15 2020, @01:48PM

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday August 15 2020, @01:48PM (#1037064)

    We have a "soft" hyperbaric chamber, you can sleep in it and all air comes in from the pump - kind of a "soothing" white noise after you get used to it.

    On the other hand, we bought the chamber 10 years ago to use with my then 8 year old son - as he grew, our combined air usage / humidity generation increased to the point that we have to be very still and relaxed in the chamber now or it does get uncomfortable. With the pressure increase there were always environmental comfort challenges, but with the total body mass increase on the inside it is now even worse.

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