The search for a good night’s sleep has a long history. Archeologists and sociologists believe the mattress has been a part of our cultural and social history from earliest times. This is something to consider while you shop for mattresses in Jackson MS on a Saturday afternoon. While the current type of mattresses may differ in content and technology from their predecessors, the purpose of them all has been for humans to obtain a solid sleep.
Etymology
During its formative years, the term “mattress” came to have a specific meaning. It sees its derivation in the Arabic word for “a mat that was thrown in a certain area.” After the clash of European and Middle East cultures took place, the word “materas” arose. It tended to refer to any material someone tossed onto the floor to provide a place on which to sleep.
The Early History of Mattresses
The first mattresses probably emerged during the Neolithic period. These crude affairs were probably a jumble of animal hides and fur tossed over a rough bed of dried grass, plants or even straw. By 4000BC, the first mattress recorded was comprised of a goatskin filled with water. It was located in Persia.
Egypt used palm boughs as the basis of their beds using it in combination with high quality Egyptian cotton, while, much later, ca 200BC, the Romans began to put together something we would actually recognize as mattresses. They took pieces of cloth and sewed them together. This they then filled with a variety of materials. This would vary according to availability and the individual’s status. As a result, these early mattresses contained straw, reeds wool or, for the wealthiest, goose feathers.
The Middle Ages Onwards
It was not until the Middle Ages that movement was made to create mattresses that were uniform in type. From the 15th century onwards, the mattress began to establish a role as a part of domestic life. Mattresses during this period could remain simple – rough cloth stitched together and stuffed with dried plant life or feathers. Yet, a market was growing for more luxurious mattresses.
For those who could afford it, mattresses could now consist of silk brocades and velvets. Mattress stuffing remained similar but feathers and pea shucks became more common for those who had money. By the 16th century, these mattresses became part of an actual bed frame and what we consider a bed was born.
From the 18th to the 20th Century
As the mattress increased in acceptability and popularity, innovations or developments occurred. Linen and cotton constituted the favored exterior while horsehair, coconut fibers, wool and cotton joined the other fillers. This era marked the first use of buttoning for mattresses as well as stitching of the edges to insure the stuffing remained in place.
Spring mattresses followed, the first being invented by German Heinrich Westphal in 1871. After WWI, other innovations erupted. These included the manufacture of latex. WWII and the cold War also resulted in technological advances that trickled down into the fashioning of mattresses.
Eventually, over the last few decades, different mattress types have emerged. Today, if you look at mattresses in Jackson MS, you are bound to see not only traditional innerspring mattresses but also Tempur Pedic and hybrid versions. Does your family find themselves in need of new Mattresses. Jackson MS has several outlets able to offer a fine selection. Consider what Mattress Direct is able to provide you. For further information about us and our product, do visit us.
