The earliest archaeological evidence of feasting is at the
Natufian site of Hilazon Tachtit Cave, where evidence suggests a feast was conducted at an elderly woman's burial about 12,000 years ago. Communal feasting is evidenced from the early Neolithic in Britain. In
Ancient Greece,
symposia formed a routine part of life, involving the celebratory drinking of wine, conversation and performances of poetry and music. Notable historical and legendary examples of banquets include
Belshazzar's Feast, the
Last Supper, the
Manchu Han Imperial Feast, and
mead halls. A
luau is one variety of traditional banquet originally used in Hawaii. Many cultures have developed structures for banquets. In the European
Middle Ages, comprehensive ritualised elements were involved in a traditional three-course menu, having up to 25 dishes in each course (this structure persisted into the 19th century). The structure was later altered to two courses, with the pre-existing third course changed to the serving of fruit and nuts. Banqueting rooms varied greatly with location, but tended to be on an intimate scale, either in a garden room, banquet hall or inside such as the small banqueting turrets in
Longleat House. Art historians have often noted that banqueters on iconographic records of ancient Mediterranean societies almost always appear to be lying down on their left sides. One possible explanation could lie in the anatomy of the stomach and in the digestive mechanism. When lying on the left, the food has room to expand because the curvature of the stomach is enhanced in that position. == Contemporary examples ==