Bedding
The removable and washable portion of a human sleeping environment.
Last updated
David P Howard · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bedding is the removable and washable materials placed above a mattress for hygiene, warmth, protection, and decoration.[1]
Quick Facts
- Common materials
- Cotton
- linen
- silk
- wool
- down
- polyester blends
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Around 3400 BC, Egyptian pharaohs began sleeping on raised beds, and bed linen was widely evolved in Egypt.[2] Egyptian bed linen was seen as a symbol of light, purity, and prosperity, and mummies were often wrapped in it.[2] The bed spring, also called the box spring, was invented in the 19th century.[3] At Ohalo II in Israel, archaeologists discovered the oldest known bedding remains, which are 23,000 years old and include charred stems and leaves arranged around a central fireplace.[4]
In the Esquilleu cave of Spain, there is potential earlier evidence from the Middle Paleolithic period showing grass that was collected near a hearth.[4] During the Roman Empire, mattresses were filled with materials like wool, feathers, reeds, or hay, and bed frames were adorned with paint, bronze, silver, jewels, and gold.[5] Roman spouses typically slept in separate rooms, as it was uncommon for a couple to share a bed for the entire night.[5]
What the cited sources add
The Roman patrician beds account notes that bedding was made of wool or hemp, which was also used for shirts, tablecloths, and ship sails.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Bedding" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bedding" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sundaresan, "A detailed analysis on physical and comfort properties of bed linen woven fabrics", Journal of Advance Research and Innovative Ideas in Education, 2016, p. 10 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bedding" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Turner, "The Evolution of the Mattress", www.sleepoutfitters.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bedding" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Renfrew, "Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice", Thames & Hudson, 2012, p. 254 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Bedding" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jasiński, "Roman patrician beds « IMPERIUM ROMANUM" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Jasiński, "Roman patrician beds « IMPERIUM ROMANUM". facts only, no text reused. imperiumromanum.pl
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Bedding (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Bedding (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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