Reconstructing Life Histories Using Multi-Tissue Isotope Analysis of Commingled Remains from St Stephen's Monastery in Jerusalem: Limitations and Potential

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 C-13 and N-15 values. The C-13 values suggest a diet dominated by C-3 products, while the N-15 ratios indicate variable contributions of animal protein. After correcting for tissue-specific enrichment factors, bone C-13 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.