Lead Pollution Found In Greenland Ice Core Shows Lead Emissions From Ancient Greeks And Romans

[Judi Lynn]

14 May 2018, 5:23 pm EDT
By Jean-Pierre Chigne Tech Times

Records of the economic history of the Roman empire are scarce, but scientists have found a different way to measure the activity of Romans through ice cores. Taken from Greenland, the ice cores show how ancient Roman economy fared through times of peace, war, plague, and unrest.

This builds on a previous study done in the 90s.

Lead Pollution In Ice Cores
A team of researchers that included scientists, archeologists, and economists from the Desert Research Institute, University of Oxford, and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing how ice cores can be used to study the Roman empire.

Ice cores taken from Greenland allowed the research team to gather data from 1,235 BC during the late Iron Age to the early Middle Ages around 1,257 AD. The accurately dated measurements found that lead pollution in the ice cores show the history of the Roman empire as events impacted the economy of the empire.

More:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/227747/20180514/lead-pollution-found-in-greenland-ice-core-shows-lead-emissions-from-ancient-greeks-and-romans.htm

[Canoe52]

1. Wow, that just blew me away!

[BigmanPigman]

2. I have seen how scientists use this for studying a lot of different things

but never heard about this particular study. So it seems that the Romans were freed up and had time to make coins and produce supplies for plumbing and carrying water when they weren't fighting. Therefore war was good for the overall environment as far a lead in the atmosphere goes. I know that is too simplistic but that is what it comes down to I guess.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Hmmmm ... wouldn't sources closer to Greenland have greater impact ?

i.e. if the Vikings (e.g.) were smelting lead, wouldn't that produce a larger signal in proportion ?