In ancient Rome, pervasive lead pollution significantly impacted both the urban elite and the rural majority, possibly hindering the civilization's technological advancements. Researchers identified a dramatic spike in lead pollution coinciding with Rome's Golden Age, attributed to extensive lead-silver ore mining. This pollution is believed to have influenced not just specific emperors but the general populace, potentially contributing to behaviors deemed odd and violent and affecting cognitive abilities, thus explaining the absence of key inventions like the steam engine and the airplane in Roman times.
The Romans' exposure to lead through various means likely impaired their cognitive abilities, contributing to their inability to invent technologies that would follow centuries later.
New research suggests lead pollution from mining activities during Rome's Golden Age may have caused widespread harm to the population's health and cognitive function.
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