What We Do in Bed: A Horizontal History of Humanity

A bed, a sleeping place, or a couch is a constant companion of a person throughout their entire life—from birth until death. On the bed we rest, sleep, make love, recover—and in the past some rulers even received ambassadors and handled matters of state importance. Historian and archaeologist Brian Fagan, together with archaeology textbook author Nadea Durrani, assembled extensive research materials showing how sleeping arrangements evolved over thousands of years. Diverse facts, evidence, and legends drawn from different sources allow us to view the bed not only as an indispensable piece of furniture in every home, but also as a phenomenon through which one can study sleep traditions and customs of different peoples—and how they have changed over the last centuries.