Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct in France. Image by Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock. Everything from northern barbarians to the spread of Christianity has been blamed for the collapse of ancient Rome. But researchers have new evidence for another contributor: There was something in the water. A study has found that "tap" water in ancient Rome — supplied to the city via lead pipes called fistulae — contained 100 times more lead than water drawn directly from local springs. That amount of lead in the water may have been a "major public health issue," according to the new study.
Researchers began by taking sediment samples from areas in and around the Tiber River, which has had an important role in Rome's history — the city was founded on its banks more than 2,700 years ag0. Sediment was also sampled from adjacent canals and the man-made Trajanic Harbor, part of ...
