文摘
The examination of isotope ratios from multiple tissues offers new life to interpretations of commingled assemblages where information regarding individual biological history has been lost. Here, life histories from a commingled sample of Byzantine monks were reconstructed using enamel and bone δp>13p>C and δp>15p>N values. The δp>13p>C values suggest a diet dominated by C3 products, while the δp>15p>N ratios indicate variable contributions of animal protein. After correcting for tissue-specific enrichment factors, bone δp>13p>C values were significantly enriched over enamel; this may be due to an increase in protein consumption, but could also reflect structural differences between tissues or correction factors used to compare these data.