It seems common in a large number of cultures throughout the world to carry things on your head (and ‘things’ in this case is incredibly diverse). As an American, I can honestly say this had never occurred to me as being the most efficient way to bear a load. Sure, as a young child I may have tried to walk across a room with a book balanced on my head, but that’s as far as it went. It certainly didn’t include baskets of fruit, bags of rice, or my mattress.
But, during our travels, I have seen a great number of objects being carried atop a head. The list includes bags, bushels of plants, plastic tubs full of any number of things, a garden ho, a shovel, the aforementioned mattress (shared between two heads really), as well as a number of backpacks and purses whose straps dangled uselessly.
Maybe it’s a good way to keep your hands free for waving, shaking, high-fiving, and talking on your phone. I just don’t think I would have the neck strength to carry these things, let alone walk while keeping them balanced.
