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From the kitchen of Midas...feast recipes

funerary feast of king midas
.introduction
banquet furnishings
.remains of a feast
.served at the banquet?
.european cuisine
.acknowledgments+bibliography
.
links
Two large vats or cauldrons
Two large vats or cauldrons that originally contained a mixed fermented beverage of wine, beer, and mead, mounted on iron tripod stands.

The king's coffin, which had probably been used in a public viewing ceremony before being carried into the tomb, was accompanied by 14 wood furniture pieces, often intricately inlaid. These are best interpreted as serving and dining tables for a funerary banquet eaten by the mourners before the interment. The funerary banquet had been re-created inside the tomb by the ancient caretakers who laid out more than 150 metal vessels, described as the most comprehensive Iron Age drinking set ever found.

...surprisingly, in view of Midas's legendary golden touch, these vessels were made of bronze, not gold...

Perhaps surprisingly, in view of Midas's legendary golden touch, these vessels were made of bronze, not gold. Yet once accumulated layers of greenish oxidation were removed, the bronze gleamed like the precious metal. Three large vats (or cauldrons), with a capacity of about 150 liters each and mounted on iron tripod stands, very likely held the beverage that was served at the feast.

Lion-headed situla or bucket
Lion-headed situla or bucket. Its hammered form, incised decoration, and appliqués demonstrate extremely fine metalsmithing.
Banqueting protocol at a royal celebration of the time is graphically depicted on wall reliefs in the palace of the Assyrian king Sargon II at Khorsabad. A lion-headed situla or bucket from the Midas Tomb is nearly an exact duplicate to the ones shown on the Sargon relief. This situla, another ram-headed situla, 2 jugs with long, sieved spouts, and 19 juglets would have enabled the beverage to be transferred to 5-liter round-bottomed buckets which were inset into unique serving tables. From there, it was ladled into 100 finely wrought bronze omphalos drinking bowls and, for those with greater thirsts, 19 large two-handled bowls.
banquet furnishings

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