Neurotoxins during the Renaissance. Bioarcheology of Ferrante II of Aragon (1469–1496) and Isabella of Aragon (1470–1524). (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qualls, Clifford; Bianucci, Raffaella; Legeros, Racquel; Bromage, Timothy; Lanzirotti, Antonio; Giuffra, Valentina; Ferroglio, Ezio; Fornaciari, Gino; Appenzeller, Otto
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 5(2016)
• Page Start: 542
• Page End: 546
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Neurotoxins -- Archeology -- Biologic rhythms -- Mercury -- Lead -- Modeling -- Tipping points -- Environmental pollution -- Autonomic nervous system -- Hair hydrogen isotopes; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Research -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.01.013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-409X

Abstract

Abstract: We show that statistical modeling of analytical results is useful in providing insights into metabolism and disease in bioarcheology. Our results also imply that during the Renaissance in Europe widespread pollution of the biosphere with heavy metals such as mercury and lead affected the Italian nobility at that time. The activity of biologic clocks which control metabolism and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function can be gleaned from the analysis of hair. This provides a means of assessing the health of individuals who lived some six centuries before the present and allows the reconstruction of disease from archived tissues such as hair. Highlights: In Renaissance Europe lead and mercury were used by nobility. However the health consequences of such toxic loads are not fully understood. We hypothesized that the exposure to toxic metals may have affected metabolism during life and resulted in abnormalities in biologic rhythms. Symptom scoring determined that Isabella had reached a "tipping point" in her metabolism but Ferrante did not. Taken together, the evidence suggests that the biologic rhythms derived from hair growth, were abnormal in both Renaissance Italians.