Many important decisions were made around the chieftain's table. Being invited to a feast in the hall was a mark of status, and numerous archaeological finds show that dining and drinking equipment were powerful symbols of prestige. Decorated pottery for serving food, imported luxury drinking vessels, and offerings of food and drink frequently appear as grave goods from the Iron Age, reflecting the importance of the chieftain's feasts.
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Drinking rituals were symbolic social and political acts shared between the chieftain and other members of the elite. The jug displayed on the table here is a reconstruction based on a local archaeological find. It has an unusual design in which the drink is poured through what appears to be the handle, producing an elegant stream. Such vessels were commonly used to serve mead; a prestigious alcoholic drink made from honey. Honey was a valuable, imported commodity, and being served mead in one's own cup at the chieftain's table at Veien was undoubtedly considered a great honour.
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Glass objects were luxury imports from southern Europe. Roman drinking glasses and other drinking vessels were sometimes placed in the graves of high-status individuals, such as those found in the burial mound at Sætrang in Haug, dating to the Roman Iron Age. Such tableware symbolised the wealth, influence, and status of the local chieftains.
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The evidence for large feasts at Veien extends beyond the hall itself and its grave goods. Around the longhouse, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of numerous cooking pits. These features represent the preparation of large quantities of food for celebrations and ceremonial gatherings held in the chieftain's hall, where many people came together.