'Last Supper' Paintings Show Agricultural Gains

I have always been fascinated by the work of those who study the backgrounds and details of historic paintings in search of information on culture, environment, and so on.

In this case, researchers claim that changing food portions on the table in front of Jesus and his disciples demonstrate agricultural improvements:

American academics analysed 52 of the most famous depictions of the Last Supper, painted between 1000 and 2000 AD, and found that the appetites of the Apostles have become increasingly prodigious.

The size of the main dish grew 69.2 per cent over the millenium, while plates grew by 65.6 per cent and bread portions by 23.1 per cent.

 One of the researchers, Brian Wansick of Cornell University, is a supporter of the Small Plate Movement, according to his web page.