Further to the recent discussion on pollution markers as an indicator of
mining and smelting in antiquity, I came across the following statement in
the abstracts for a forthcoming conference -
'These ancient sediments suggest smelting practices that can only be
described as dirty and dangerous.'
This is from a paper by John Grattan (Institute of Geography and Earth
Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth), "Death … more desirable than
life"? The Environmental Impact of Copper Mining and Smelting in Wadi
Faynan. To be presemted at the Roman Archaeology conference in Leicester, in
a special session on mining and quarrying, on 5 April - see
http://www.le.ac.uk/ar/rac/programme.htm for more details.
A multi disciplinary research programme has explored the pollution impacts
of ancient mining and smelting and measured its persistence into the modern
environment. The paper relates the pollution impact to the heavy metals
present in the bones of the people living and working in the industry ;
where 'Analysis of the bone chemical content of many individuals excavated
from the south cemetery suggest direct exposure to potentially lethal doses
of copper, lead and cadmium'.
Peter
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Peter Claughton, Blaenpant Morfil, Rosebush, Clynderwen,
Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Co-owner - mining-history e-mail discussion list.
See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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