Roman Empire’s lead pollution was high enough to lower IQs, study says
Silver fueled the rise of the Roman Empire. But the ancient process of mining and extracting silver was also making the air thick with lead, scientists found.
Smithsonian Magazine on MSN16d
Ancient Romans Breathed in Enough Lead to Lower Their IQs, Study Finds. Did That Toxin Contribute to the Empire’s Fall?
Did lead poisoning contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire? It’s a question historians have long debated, since the Romans sweetened their wine with lead acetate and sipped tap water that flowed ...
earth10d
Lead pollution may have caused the fall of the Roman empire
Arctic ice cores uncover how Roman lead pollution led to widespread IQ declines over 2,000 years ago, revealing impacts on ...
Popular Science18d
Ancient lead pollution may have lowered IQs across the Roman Empire
People living during the golden age of the Roman Empire experienced an average 2.5 to 3 point reduction in IQ due to atmospheric lead, according to a study published January 6 in the journal ...
Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire: Study
Atmospheric lead pollution likely caused cognitive decline among citizens of the Roman Empire, according to research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Interesting Engineering on MSN16d
IQ levels dropped across Europe during Roman Empire due to lead use: Study
A new study turned to Arctic ice core records between 500 BCE through 600 CE to find a link between lead pollution and widespread health decline in the Ancient Roman Empire, which most likely lowered ...
Widespread lead pollution in the Roman era made led to a drop in IQ across Europe, study suggests
"A 2 to 3 points lower IQ doesn't sound like much, but when you apply that to the entire European population, it's quite a lot." ...
Discover Magazine17d
Ancient Lead Poisoning May Have Contributed to the Roman Empire’s Downfall
Mining and smelting minerals like iron represented technological highs at the Roman Empire’s peak. But those activities also produced enough lead pollution to impair its citizens’ IQs, according to a ...
Could lead pollution have led to the downfall of the Roman empire?
Scientists are exploring the role of lead pollution in the decline of the Roman Empire, proposing that chronic lead exposure ...
C&EN17d
Lead pollution in the air impacted all ancient Romans
The researchers first took measurements of lead deposited in three Arctic ice cores every year between 500 BCE and 600 CE using techniques they have reported before. They found that lead emissions ...
Rare Roman gold coins discovered in Luxembourg
A team of archaeologists recently discovered a hoard of 141 Roman gold coins dating back to around the Fourth Century CE in ...
The Hill17d
Lead pollution linked to lower IQs in Roman Empire: Study
Atmospheric lead pollution likely caused cognitive decline among citizens of the Roman Empire, according to research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.