A new study of a site in Border Cave, South Africa, found that our human ancestors made human beddings and led complex lives. Their beddings show their ingenuity, cleverness, and intelligence.

Clever Beddings Made Earlier Than Previously Thought

In the site, archaeologists found evidence that these early humans made grass beds around 200 millennia ago. The findings were published in the journal Science. Previous studies have only shown deliberate bedding by humans 100,000 millennia in the past.

The beds that the scientists discovered were made from many ash layers. The ash offered protection of the sleeping humans from biting insects, which could have been annoying.

According to South Africa University of the Witwatersrand archaeologist and professor Lyn Wadley, the research team thinks that early humans purposely lay their grass beddings on ash to keep them free from dirt, insulate them, and keep crawling insects away.

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Excavated Fossil Beddings

The archaeologists were able to unearth from Border Cave's sediments the remains of fossilized grass mats within the humans' living areas.

The beddings were found at the cave's rear area, the safest and warmest part of the dwelling. Most of the beds have been desiccated and were close to the hearth.

Laboratory Analysis of the Bedding Material

The research team used a variety of analytical tools to study the beddings. FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy was used, as well as phytolith analysis and SEM or scanning electron microscopy to analyze the plant's silicified material.

According to the phytolith analysis results, the material is consistent with the broad-leafed Panicoideae group of grasses.

The Use of Ash and Camphor Bush

Ash, the team noted, is an insecticide, which disrupts insects' breathing and negatively affects their exoskeleton and hydration.

The team also found one bedding with camphor bush, a popular insect repellent in the area both then and in the present.

Wadley says that the ash was sometimes made from older bedding, which was burned to kill insect pests and clean the area. Fireplace wood ash was useful as a surface for the new layer of grass beds.

The human beddings also had stone chips, from the manufacture of ancient stone tools. This led the team to speculate that the Border Cave bedding area was also used as the inhabitants' work area.

The presence of angular orange and red ochre suggested that they were utilized by our human ancestors to decorate the cave.

Study Conclusion

The scientists, based on all these observations, made the following conclusions: the ancient humans utilized ochre as décor; there were hearths on their cave homes; they placed their beds on the best areas of the cave; beds may have been used as a workbench, and they knew how to repel insect pests.

Wadley said that our ancestors were cognitively, behaviorally, and socially complex beings. They can produce fire and used it; they used medicinal plants and ash to clean their cave homes, and they know how to make the right human beddings.

These strategies, he adds, bestowed advantageous benefits that improved our human ancestors' health in Border Cave.