Four Things Ancient Humans Had That We Don’t

They owned inbuilt pesticide beds

Ancient humans didn’t have one of those fancy mattresses you own, but they were very clever in putting together a comfortable place to sleep on. Archaeologists have discovered remains of cosy grass beds in Border Caves of South Africa, suggesting the existence of beds 200,000 years ago. They laid their beddings above an ash layer to create a dirt-free environment and repel crawling insects.

The discovered remnants of ash were mixed with natural insecticides that abraded insects’ exoskeletons, dehydrating, and even killing them. These fossilized beds bear testimony that early humans not only built cosy homes and comfortable beds. They also knew how to create pesticides, insecticides, and lived in good conditions. They were, in fact, more sophisticated than we originally thought — exhibiting cognitive, behavioural, and social complexity.