Our usual way to rest or do non-mobile work is to sit on an elevated platform, chair, bench, with the shins mostly vertical, hence called straight-legged sitting. Other cultures, thinking largely in the direction of Asia, squat or sit cross-legged. (Telling, in my native Hungarian the later is called "Turkish sitting".)

Seriously it was stupid of us to do so. We lose mobility in our ankles and knees and by 40 we groan when we try to squat. Worst part is how our kind of sitting causes hyperlordosis of the lower back, with discomfort then pain.

Theirs is clearly superior. If you maintain mobility in your ankles and knees, and you can certainly see 70 years old people i.e. Thailand who seem to be able to work comfortably while squatting, you basically have a free chair with you everywhere. Pretty convenient where no chairs around. And squatting pulls the pelvis forward, preventing hyperlordosis. Same can be said about cross-legged sitting, albeit it usually requires a rug and most often also done on a pillow. But at least you don't need as much furniture and it is still good for the lower back. Japanese kneeling sitting probably the same.

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Why did we do this? Clearly not because horses, Arabs or Persians had plenty of cavalry. I think elevated sitting was originally a status symbol, see the Roman generals foldable "throne" and then everybody else imitated it, like with pants?