The Great Bed of Ware

(via Amusing Planet)  For much of human history, sleeping arrangements were very informal. You heaped a pile of straw or leaves on the floor, covered it with animal skin or a large linen cloth, and tucked yourself in with a cloak or a blanket. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that people started to afford a bit of luxury. From the 15th century onwards, beds started to become unusually large reaching 7 to 8 feet across, but the most humongous of them all is undoubtedly the Great Bed of Ware. This spectacular four-poster bed measures ten feet by eleven feet, and is reportedly large enough for four couples to lie side by side without touching each other.