> [!quote] [[An Ancient Roman Cult's Rituals Included Feasting, Fire, and Floor Cleaning via Atlas Obscura]] > Taken together, the new research suggests that feasts likely played an important ceremonial role in the cult. The rooms themselves were laid out similar to the formal Roman dining arrangement known as a triclinium. Chickens were a common source of meat at the feasts, as were young pigs, both luxuries at the time. On the altar, a portion of the meal may have been set aside for Mithras, and, believes Egri, possibly set on fire to symbolize the god’s presence, sharing in the meal. > > Afterward, the research suggests remains of the feast were burnt, large fragments removed, and the rest spread evenly across the floor. The material was then walked over and tamped down to form a thin layer of charcoal. The Mithraic cult members would perform the ritual repeatedly, adding a new layer each time. At one Mithraeum they studied in Zillis, Switzerland, Lo Russo says there’s evidence that so many layers had built up after hundreds of feasts that they needed to dig the floors out and start over. - pretty good example of [[religious rituals that make practical sense]]