Researchers measured lead pollution and its impact on human health through Arctic ice-core samples. View on euronews

It was during the period known as the Pax Romana, a time of stability in the Roman Empire that lasted for about two hundred years between 27 BC and 192 AD. Mining and smelting operations throughout Europe were likely a a source of lead contamination,

The new research adds context to a long-standing debate about the role lead pollution and poisoning may have played in the collapse of the Roman Empire. Some historians have argued that Roman elites and emperors who purportedly displayed odd,

A new study turned to Arctic ice core records between 500 BCE through 600 CE to find a link between lead pollution and widespread health decline in the Ancient Roman Empire, which most likely lowered the IQs of 80 million people.

"A 2 to 3 points lower IQ doesn't sound like much, but when you apply that to the entire European population, it's quite a lot."

Two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire hummed with activity. Roads stretched like arteries, connecting distant provinces. Mines yielded treasures buried deep in the earth, and smelters worked tirelessly to transform raw silver ore into the coins that fueled an empire.

The Roman Empire's pervasive influence once reached across land, sea, and even sky. During the golden age of Roman imperialism, air pollution grew so inescapable that researchers now suspect it caused widespread neurological damage over much of Europe,