Abstract
Atmospheric metal pollution is a major health concern whose roots pre-date industrialization. This study pertains the analyses of ancient human skeletons and compares them with natural archives to trace historical environmental exposure at the edge of the Roman Empire in NW Iberia. The novelty of our approach relies on the combination of mercury, lead and lead isotopes. We found over a 700-year period that rural Romans incorporated two times more mercury and lead into their bones than post-Romans inhabiting the same site, independent of sex or age. Atmospheric pollution sources contributed on average 57% (peaking at 85%) of the total lead incorporated into the bones in Roman times, which decreased to 24% after the decline of Rome. These values and accompanying changes in lead isotopic composition mirror changes in atmospheric Pb deposition recorded in local peatlands. Thus, skeletons are a time-transgressive archive reflecting contaminant exposure.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 136319 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
Volume | 710 |
Early online date | 30 Dec 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2020 |
Bibliographical note
We thank Museo de Pontevedra and Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Xuntade Galicia for providing access to skeletal collections. OLC is funded by ED481D 2017/014Xunta de Galicia. This work was supported bythe projects: Galician Paleodiet (ED481D 2017/014), Consiliencia network (ED 431D2017/08), GPC (ED431B 2018/20) all funded by Xunta de Galicia.Keywords
- Mercury
- Lead
- Lead isotope
- Pollution
- Skeleton
- Archaeology
- JURA MOUNTAINS
- ISOTOPE ANALYSIS
- PEAT BOG
- DEPOSITION
- BP
- PREGNANCY
- DANISH MEDIEVAL
- GREENLAND
- DIAGENESIS
- ICP-MS