Why Ancient Romans' IQ Dropped... Due to Addiction to 'This'

Possible Average IQ Decline Due to Severe Lead Contamination
Ancient Humans Exposed to Lead While Producing Silver

The ancient Roman environment was exposed to severe lead contamination, raising new theories that the average intelligence quotient (IQ) of Romans may have been significantly lowered as a result, attracting considerable attention.

Foreign media such as Sky News reported on the 7th (local time), citing research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, stating that "the average IQ of ancient Romans may have declined due to lead poisoning." The paper evaluated the overall health levels of ancient European civilizations.

Roman civilization relic Colosseum. Pixabay

The research team analyzed ancient artifact samples found in Greenland and discovered a considerable level of lead. Through this, they assessed the level of lead poisoning in ancient Roman society and revealed that not only commonly used items but even the atmosphere was severely contaminated with lead.

Nathan Chelman, co-author of the research paper, explained, "As a result, the IQ of ancient Romans may have decreased by 2 to 3 points (p). While this might not seem significant on an individual level, when applied to the entire continent's population, it is a fatal level."

Lead is a heavy metal that can enter the body through inhalation or direct ingestion. Once lead enters the bloodstream, it gradually accumulates in organs, tissues, bones, and teeth. Typical symptoms of lead poisoning include loss of appetite, dizziness, vomiting, and weight loss, and it is especially known to have negative effects on brain health.

The silver coin denarius, which was the official currency of the Roman Empire. Live Science capture

So why were ancient Romans exposed to lead? The research team believes it is closely related to the steel smelting technology of Roman society at the time. The Roman Empire used silver coins as currency, and in ancient times, a significant amount of lead was produced whenever silver was smelted. This lead spread into the atmosphere, causing citizens to naturally inhale contaminated air.

In fact, the research team recreated the ancient silver smelting process to measure how much lead was generated in the atmosphere. Additionally, ancient Romans were unaware of how harmful lead was to the body. Because of this, lead was widely used in tableware, paint, and even cosmetics, and was intentionally ingested.

As a result, it is estimated that from 27 BCE to 180 CE, the peak of the Roman Empire's power, a considerable level of lead was detected in the blood of children living in Rome.

Although lead poisoning had fatal effects on various health aspects, including intellectual functions, paradoxically, the level of lead contamination appears to have increased during the revival of Roman civilization. Since the Roman economy operated on silver coins, the faster Rome grew, the more silver was produced. The research team evaluated this by saying, "Lead poisoning essentially supported the Roman economy."

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