The oldest evidence for lead pollution comes from ancient Greece

Researchers have found the oldest known evidence of lead pollution dating to around 5,200 years ago in ancient Greece. That’s 1,200 years older than the previous earliest recorded lead pollution, which was found in a peatbog in Serbia. The site with the earliest signs of lead contamination is located in northeastern Greece, near the island of Thasos. Previous archaeological evidence suggests Thasos was one of the region’s most significant sites for silver mining and metalwork. Lead levels across the region rose significantly after the Roman occupation of Greece. The research was published Thursday in Communications Earth and Environment.