archeologic analysis of human remains can illuminate incredible truths about our ancient antecedent , discover hidden Sojourner Truth about their casual living that we would n’t of necessity be able-bodied to find in spell records . Other times , it can just be a blessed talebearer .
In the 500s , involved monasteries were found throughout the deserts of Africa and the Near East . The remote emplacement were no accident — these monks were meant to adhere to asceticism , which purely forbade blase pleasure and required the monks to live on little else but kale and water . One exception to the isolation of these early monasteries was St. Stephen ’s in Jerusalem , which afforded its Monk access to temptations obscure to those of their desert - dwelling Brother .
regrettably , it seems the monks of St. Stephen ’s were n’t able to hold out the temptation . The University of South Alabama ’s Lesley Gregoricka analyzed osseous tissue samples from 55 skeletons in the monastery . The ratios of carbon and atomic number 7 isotope in the bone can be used to reconstruct a fairish picture of the ancient monk ’ diet . And while some of the monks did indeed only seem to subsist on bread and body of water with the occasional fruits and vegetables unify in , that was n’t exactly dependable of all the inhabitants of St. Stephen ’s .
AsNew Scientist cover , Many of the Thelonious Sphere Monk were found to have bones rich in nitrogen-15 , which has to be infer from phthisis of beast protein . That most in all probability mean core , although it ’s possible the monastic were exhaust cheese or other dairy - based production . Either way , such food would have offend the principles of asceticism . What ’s more , such foods were a luxury item in 6th century Jerusalem , imply the monks almost for sure would have violated their vow of poverty just to get their hands on the nutrient .
According to Peter Hallie of the University of Dallas , “ Only fallen , sapless , insane and demonic monks ate heart and soul . ” So either St. Stephen ’s Monastery was a dumping footing for every fallen , weak , mad , and fiendish Thelonious Sphere Monk that the other , purer Byzantine monasteries did n’t want , or these monks somehow kept secret their forbidden culinary habits . In any effect , it just move to show that archaeologists ca n’t be trusted with anybody ’s secrets , even if they are 1,500 years old .
Journal of Anthropological ArchaeologyviaNew Scientist . look-alike of Cretan monastery by Nelo Hotsuma onFlickr .
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