[Renfield]

Median Lead Concentrations in Britain and Rome (Montgomery et al. 2010, Figure 11.3)

Roman Lead Artefacts: (clockwise from top left) - curse tablet, sling-bullet, water-pipe, ingots, pendant, ring-seal

[Renfield]

Ping.

[FlyVet]

I remember a Paul Harvey segment on this at least 20 years ago. Lead poisoning from the clay pottery in which they stored their wine, and that there was lead in their bread ovens. The madness of Nero....

Good Day......

[Adder]

including the tired old hypothesis that it was rampant lead poisoning that led to the downfall of Rome -

Yeah..that one was never true. 200ad saw the peak of Rome in my opine...the true pinnacle of the Pax Romana.

My favorite reason for the decline of sucha mighty empire is the “lack of interest” in the institutions and work ethic it took to make Rome great...the fire no longer burned and they descended into a long slide of power struggles in a small world of courtly affairs, and a populace that was owed a living.

[Now where have I heard that mentioned before????]