CAIRO – 23 May 2022: Humans have known sleep on soft pillows 2000 years ago, but the ancient Egyptians used to rest their heads on pillows made of stone. The ancient Egyptian pillow stand, commonly called the headrest, was designed to keep the head elevated while sleeping. It usually consists of a flat base and then a concave section on its upper side to rest the head. Egyptian stone pillows served more than just practical application. Stone headrests were often engraved with protective images, such as that of the deity Bes, a deity who protected sleeping people with its fearsome appearance that drove out evil.
