From a physiological point of view, meat may not be an entirely indispensable part of the human diet, but its communal consumption and distribution do occupy a special position in socio-political life. The present study introduces possibilities and methods for approaching the significance of meat consumption in the diet of Geometric and Archaic Greece. However, the main focus is on the social functions of such behaviours [e.g. as part of power or gender relations], as well as a discussion of the artefacts connected to it, such as knives. Case studies analyse the actual co-occurrence of knives and animal bone in assemblages from Greek sanctuaries and necropoleis, differentiate the patterns and demonstrate possible interpretative levels. In addition, reflections on the consumption and distribution of meat in contemporary vase painting and literature are examined, in particular the motifs of the meat distributor / offerant and of the sacrificial community, represented from the 6th century onwards.