Metallurgy, environmental pollution and the decline of Etruscan civilisation

Harrison, Adrian P.; Cattani, Ilenia; Turfa, Jean MacIntosh

doi:10.1007/s11356-009-0141-5

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(33 reference statements)

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“…1) compares these data with contemporary concentrations of arsenic in hair. Regarding historical aspects, a challenging theory is being advanced that desertion of several important Etruscan settlements at the end of the Archaic period in Italy had been a consequence of man-made pollution and associated arsenic environmental poisoning (Harrison et al, 2010[ 35 ]).…”

Section: Historical Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary trends in toxicological research on arsenic

Bolt

Hengstler

2018

Arch Toxicol

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There is a plethora of recent publications on all aspects relevant to the toxicology of arsenic (As). Over centuries exposures to arsenic continue to be a major public health problem in many countries. In particular, the occurrence of high As concentrations in groundwater of Southeast Asia receives now much attention. Therefore, arsenic is a high-priority matter for toxicological research. Key exposure to As are (traditional) medicines, combustion of As-rich coal, presence of As in groundwater, and pollution due to mining activities. As-induced cardiovascular disorders and carcinogenesis present themselves as a major research focus. The high priority of this issue is now recognized politically in a number of countries, research funds have been made available. Also experimental research on toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics and on modes of toxic action is moving very rapidly. The matter is of high regulatory concern, and effective preventive measures are required in a number of countries.

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Section: Historical Remarksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary trends in toxicological research on arsenic

Bolt

Hengstler

2018

Arch Toxicol

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“…This is the first known instance of global atmospheric pollution. Subsequent studies on more local scales have documented the history and scale of mining in the Andes (Cooke et al 2008), western Europe (Alfonso et al 2001, Baron et al 2005, Harrison et al 2010, Jouffroy-Bapicot et al 2007, Martínez Cortizas et al 2002), and China (Lee et al 2008. Environmental archives provide the only surviving evidence in some regions for the timing and scale of past mining and metallurgy, as for example in the tin deposits of southwest England (Meharg et al 2011).…”

Section: Impact Of Metallurgy On the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeometallurgy: The Study of Preindustrial Mining and Metallurgy

Killick

Fenn

2012

Annu. Rev. Anthropol.

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Archaeometallurgy is an interdisciplinary and international field of study that examines all aspects of the production, use, and consumption of metals from ∼8000 BCE to the present, although this review is restricted to mining and metallurgy in preindustrial societies. Most of this literature was not written with an anthropological readership in mind, but many of its central themes are relevant to some current debates in anthropology. Since the 1970s, archaeometallurgists have been concerned explicitly with the materiality of metals and also with the highly variable value of precious metals across time and space. Exacting criteria have been developed for distinguishing past technology transfers from independent inventions. Archaeometallurgists have also done important work on the social construction of technology in precapitalist economies. In short, archaeometallurgy offers much that is of interest to anthropologists who study the growth and spread of knowledge, and of systems of value, before the capitalist era.

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“…The Acquarossa river is located close to the city of Viterbo (Italy) and represents a site of naturalistic and archaeological interest where the Etruscan civilization developed around 625-550 B.C. The metallurgical activity on which the economy of this population was based led to the spread of heavy metals throughout the area [1], mainly iron and arsenic [2]. Along the whole river course, rocks are covered by a red and a black biofilm (epilithon).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Bacterial Communities of Infernaccio Waterfalls: A Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas Strains Living in a Red Epilithic Biofilm

et al. 2019

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Acquarossa river (Viterbo, Italy) was the site of a prospering Etruscan civilization thanks to metallurgical activity around 625–550 B.C. This caused the spread of heavy metals throughout the area. Rocks along the river probably act as a filter for these elements and they are covered by two different biofilms (epilithons). They differ for both color and bacterial composition. One is red and is enriched with Pseudomonas strains, while the other one is black and Acinetobacter is the most represented genus. Along the river lay the Infernaccio waterfalls, whose surrounding rocks are covered only by the red epilithon. The bacterial composition of this biofilm was analyzed through high throughput sequencing and compared to those ones of red and black epilithons of Acquarossa river. Moreover, cultivable bacteria were isolated and their phenotype (i.e., resistance against antibiotics and heavy metals) was studied. As previously observed in the case of Acquarossa river, characterization of bacterial composition of the Infernaccio red epilithon revealed that the two most represented genera were Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas. Nonetheless, these strains differed from those isolated from Acquarossa, as revealed by RAPD analysis. This work, besides increasing knowledge about the ecological properties of this site, allowed to isolate new bacterial strains, which could potentially be exploited for biotechnological applications, because of their resistance against environmental pollutants.

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Metallurgy, environmental pollution and the decline of Etruscan civilisation

Cited by 21 publications

References 36 publications

Contemporary trends in toxicological research on arsenic

Contemporary trends in toxicological research on arsenic

Archaeometallurgy: The Study of Preindustrial Mining and Metallurgy

Exploring the Bacterial Communities of Infernaccio Waterfalls: A Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas Strains Living in a Red Epilithic Biofilm

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