[Lead poisoning: towards a paleo-epidemiologic re-interpretation?]

Area of Science:

• Paleopathology
• Toxicology
• Archaeological Science

Context:

• Lead exposure and plumbism represent significant public health challenges with a historical trajectory dating back to Neolithic times.
• Peak lead usage occurred in Ancient Rome and the 19th century, highlighting periods of substantial environmental and public health impact.
• Accurately assessing historical plumbism is complicated by the subtle, delayed symptoms of lead poisoning and post-mortem bone alterations (diagenesis).

Purpose:

• To review and evaluate diverse methodologies for quantifying lead concentrations within ancient skeletal remains (bone and tooth).
• To present a framework for interpreting lead measurements in paleopathological contexts.
• To establish reliable methods for estimating the historical epidemiology of plumbism.

Summary:

• This research examines the challenges in diagnosing historical lead poisoning due to varied symptomatology and diagenetic effects on skeletal tissues.
• It provides a comprehensive review of techniques for measuring lead levels in archaeological bone and tooth samples.
• The study proposes interpretive strategies for these measurements to reconstruct past lead exposure patterns.

Impact:

• Enhances our understanding of the long-term public health impact of lead exposure throughout human history.
• Provides crucial tools for archaeologists and toxicologists to assess historical environmental contamination.
• Improves the accuracy of paleopathological diagnoses related to heavy metal toxicity in ancient populations.