Assessing Mobility Among Inferred Elites Interred in Crypts 1–3 on Kom H at Tungul (Old Dongola), Sudan

ABSTRACT As the capital of Makuria, Tungul was a major sociopolitical center within medieval Nubia, being the seat of a bishopric and a monastic community. During the excavation of the Kom H monastery, three burial crypts (Crypts 1–3) were uncovered. The identification of the epitaph of archbishop Georgios and the location of these crypts in association with the monastery suggests that the crypts may have been utilized by select individuals, possibly ecclesiastics, monks, and social elites. Utilizing 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, δ 18 O c , and δ 13 C carbonate isotope analyses this study assesses mobility among 19 individuals interred in Kom H Crypts 1–3 at Tungul.