Skeletons Reveal Being Rich in the Middle Ages May Have Harmed Your Health

Being rich in the Middle Ages may have actually caused a person more harm than good. Researchers have found that wealthy people during this time period were more exposed to the toxic heavy metal lead than the poor.

"Lead poisoning can be the consequence when ingesting lead, which is a heavy metal," said Kaare Lund Rasmussen, one of the researchers, in a news release. "In the Middle Ages, you could almost not avoid ingesting lead, if you were wealthy or living in an urban environment. But what is perhaps more severe, is the fact that exposure to lead leads to lower intelligence of children."

In the Middle Ages, wealthy Danes and Germans mainly lived in towns. The rural population, in contrast, was generally poor and isolated. The wealthy could afford to eat and drink from glazed pottery, which was the main source of lead poisoning.

"In those days lead oxide was used to glaze pottery," said Rasmussen. It was practical to clean the plates and looked beautiful, so it was understandably in high demand. But when they kept salty and acidic foods in glazed pots, the surface of the glaze would dissolve and the lead would leak into the food."

In the country, in contrast, glazed pottery was used more rarely. Even with money, this type of pottery would be more difficult to obtain. Instead, those who lived in the country used unglazed pottery and unknowingly saved themselves from lead exposure.

The pottery wasn't the only source of lead exposure, though. Those who lived in town were also exposed to it via coins, stained glass windows and lead tiles on the roofs of important buildings. Drinking water was often collected from the roof, which may have made this an important source of lead.

The researchers examined skeletons from cemeteries in Germany and Denmark. They found that those from urban communities had been exposed to levels of lead that were higher and more dangerous than those from rural communities. In addition, those from urban populations also had a higher mercury content, which is probably due to its use as a medicine.

The findings reveal a bit more about the health of those during this time period, and show that living in town may have been a dangerous situation.

The findings are published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Related Stories

New 'Superhenge': Ancient Remains Discovered Near Stonehenge

Aztec Human Skull Rack Reveals History of Sacrificing Rival Warriors (VIDEO)

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).