The combination of significant maize consumption with variable but generally substantial animal protein intake is consistent with what is known about Classic and Terminal Classic Maya diets at major sites.

Third, in contexts where sufficient regional isotope baseline data exists, the geographic sourcing of individuals is possible through strontium isotope analysis, which reflects the local geological environment where drinking water was obtained during childhood tooth formation.

The 2024 study’s integration of isotope and genomic data provides a multi-dimensional picture of the children’s biological identity that neither approach alone could have produced.

The Popol Vuh’s World in Deeper Detail