Two new studies (January 2) reveal how natural climate change and lead water pollution shaped the social and health development of ancient Rome, highlighting the need to incorporate health aspects into the assessment of contemporary climate risks, yet what is being done today is exactly the opposite. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Lead contamination
Ancient Romans breathed lead: New study reveals the effects of the pollution A study recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Reveals widespread lead pollution caused by the silver mining industry in ancient Rome, which likely led to a decline in the IQ levels of many of the empire's inhabitants. Quote from the study: According to the lead researcher, Dr. Joseph McConnell of the Desert Research Institute, "During the Pax Romana period, Rome produced between 3 and 4 kilotons of atmospheric lead per year, and in total over 500 kilotons of lead." The researchers were able to link lead levels to historical events, such as the Antonine Plague, which led to a significant decrease in lead pollution due to reduced work in the mines. Despite the data, some researchers dispute the impact of this pollution on the IQ levels of the Romans. Professor Christopher Lovelock of the University of Nottingham argues that "other social factors, such as local wars and food shortages, must also be considered before drawing conclusions about a general decline in cognitive function."
Researchers from the University of Bremen in Germany have found links between climate change, epidemics and social structures in Roman Italy., between 200 BC and 600 AD. The study, published in Science Advances, paints a picture of climatic and demographic influences in ancient Rome, focusing on a broad period of time that included major epidemics.
This study appears just as the Trump administration is destroying one by one the US's major scientific institutions, declaring an energy emergency to dot the US with oil drilling, and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, simply because it believes that fighting the climate crisis is doing more harm than good (and it has surrounded itself with advisors who believe this lie). Taking over the EDA will bring with it permits for companies to pollute the environment, for example by dumping toxic substances into water sources, which will cause a decrease in the life expectancy and quality of health of US residents.
This similarity is troubling in light of research that has shown that natural climate changes have played a significant role in shaping social, agricultural, and health dynamics throughout human history. The researchers, led by Karin Sonnenfeld and her colleagues, focused on creating accurate, regionally focused climate reconstructions based on marine sediment cores taken from the Gulf of Taranto in southern Italy. The study aimed to examine the connections between climate fluctuations, social changes, and epidemic outbreaks during the Roman period.
Using sediment cores from the Ionian Sea, collected at a depth of 270 meters, the researchers were able to reconstruct temperature and sediment data over time in southern Italy by analyzing microfossils of dinoflagellates. The data was calculated based on a sampling frequency of one sample every three years and compared to historical records of major epidemics.
Main findings
The study describes two major periods in the climate of southern Italy. The first, the Roman Climate Optimum (200 BC – 100 AD), was characterized by relatively high temperatures and climatic stability, which contributed to the prosperity and expansion of the Roman Empire. In contrast, the second period, which began in 100 AD and lasted until 515 AD, saw a gradual decrease in temperatures, with three significant cold and dry periods. The first occurred between 160–180 AD, and coincided with the Antonine Plague. The second occurred between 245–275 AD, during which the Crisis of the Third Century occurred. The third began in 530 AD with the beginning of the "Little Ice Age of Late Antiquity," which was accompanied by the Plague of Justinian.
Links between climate and pandemics

The researchers found that the three major plagues – the Antonine Plague, the Cyprian Plague, and the Justinian Plague – occurred during periods of particularly harsh climatic conditions. For example, the Justinian Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, broke out during a period of significant cooling and climatic instability.
The findings suggest that climate change can trigger social and health crises. Periods of drought and cold have damaged agriculture, caused food shortages, and sometimes weakened populations, making them more vulnerable to disease. Thus, climate change has created conditions that have allowed epidemics to spread more rapidly.
“Environmental changes have not only directly affected agriculture, but have also strengthened the link between social and health crises,” says lead researcher Karin A.P. Sonnenwald. “Our findings point to the need to understand the impact of climate change in the future as well.”
The researchers emphasize that although we now have modern tools, such as biomedical science and advanced agriculture, global crises like the coronavirus pandemic demonstrate the importance of understanding the links between climate and health.
“Climate history, like the one we reconstructed, can serve as a basis for risk assessments and building social and economic resilience,” adds Prof. Kyle Harper, one of the authors of the article.

For research on lead pollution
For research on the connection between climate change and the fall of the Roman Empire
More of the topic in Hayadan: (Beresheet is the Hebrew name for the book of Genesis)
One response
Everything is upside down, Rome fell because of low birth rates, immigration, the rights of women who refused to give birth, and the prosperity of LGBT people, and finally surrendered to an attack by barbarians. Reminds me of something?