Lead in bone II: Skeletal‐lead content as an indicator of lifetime lead ingestion and the social correlates in an archaeological population

Abstract

Measurements of skeletal-lead content (by atomic absorption spectroscopy) were made for 16 individuals recovered from a Colonial (1670–1730) plantation cemetery in Virginia. Archaeological and historical evidence allowed the identification of two social groups (plantation proprietors and laborers) within this small population, each with vastly different estimated lifetime lead exposure, reflecting different living conditions. Measured bone-lead levels confirmed these differences. The character of plantation social organization proved a more important determinant of skeletal-lead content in the individuals studied than age, sex, or race.