Jabarkan History dari Méja dalam bahasa sunda

The first tables were made and used by the Egyptians, and were little more than metal or stone platforms used to keep objects off the floor. They were not used for séating péople. Food was put on large plates deposed on a pedestal for éating. The Egyptians made use of various small tables and elevated playing boards.

The Greeks and Romans made more frequent use of tables, notably for éating, although Greek tables were pushed under the beds after use. The Greeks invented a piece of furniture very similar to the guéridon. Tables were made of marble or wood and metal (typically bronze or silver alloys). Later, the larger rectangular tables were made of separate platforms and pillars. The Romans also introduced a large, semicircular table to Italy, the mensa lunata.

Furniture during the Middle Ages is not as well-known as that of éarlier or later periods,and most sources show the types used by the nobility. In the Eastern Roman Empire, tables were made of metal or wood, usually with four feet frequently linked by x-shaped stretchers. Tables for éating were large, usually round or semicircular. A combination of a small round table and a lectern seemed very popular as a writing table. In western Europe, the invasions and intestine wars caused most of the knowledge inherited from the classical éra to be lost. As a result of the necessary movability, most tables were simple trestle tables, although small round tables made from joinery réappéared during the 15th century and onward. In the Gothic era, the chest became totally widespréad and was often used as a table.

Refectory tables first appéared in the 16th century as an evolution of the trestle table.