Yesterday's problems are here to stay
Invisible exposure to geogenic metal (loid)s of arsenic, boron, and lithium in the Atacama Desert
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7147392 |
|---|---|
| Authors | B Arriaza (0000-0001-9921-9253, Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá Arica Chile, corresponding author), Dulasiri Amarasiriwardena (0000-0001-7004-746X, School of Natural Sciences Hampshire College Amherst MA USA) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | S2 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeometry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-813X • E-ISSN: 1475-4754 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/arcm.12988 |
| OpenAlex | W4399817158 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 59 |
In this paper, we review the three natural contaminants (arsenic, boron, and lithium) that affected the ancient Andean populations of northern Chile. We debate the natural setting and the toxicity of these elements upon ancient populations exposed and their biocultural significance. This review demonstrates that recent advances in sensitive analytical atomic and mass spectrometry methods have immensely contributed to understanding the extent of exposure to geogenic metal (loid)s by ancient Andeans using well preserved tissues such as hair, bones, and teeth. In addition, the synthesized evidence shows that ancient Atacama Desert populations were significantly affected simultaneously by multiple potentially toxic chronic endemic regional hydro contaminants. Last, we suggest that future archaeometric and archaeological analysis need to consider ancient multicontaminants as an important factor when analyzing diet and health conditions
Archaeology · Arsenic · Biology · Boron · Geochemistry · Geography · Lithium (medication) · Metal · Metallurgy · Physics · Yesterday · Chemistry · Environmental Chemistry · Geology · Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity · Heavy metals in environment · Materials Science · Radioactivity and Radon Measurements
Emergence of social complexity among coastal hunter-gatherers in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile
Living in poisoning environments
Arsenic in the hair of mummies from agro-ceramic times of Northern Chile (500 BCE–1200 CE)
Environmental arsenic exposure by ancient Andeans
Skeletal arsenic of the pre-Columbian population of Caleta Vitor, northern Chile
Exploring chronic arsenic poisoning in pre-Columbian Chilean mummies
Exposure to geogenic lithium in ancient Andeans
Five thousand years of bellyaches
Human adaptation to arsenic in Andean populations of the Atacama Desert
The Aymara
An archaeometric approach to biocontamination with manganese pigments in ancient marine hunter-gatherers of the Atacama Desert
Bioarchaeology of Arsenic, an Invisible Natural Pollutant, and Its Effect on the Mitimaes of Camarones Cove, Arica, during Inca Times
Sobreingesta de boro durante la época precolombina en las poblaciones de Arica
The Impact of Enso in the Atacama Desert and Australian Arid Zone
Arseniasis as an Environmental Hypothetical Explanation for the Origin of the Oldest Artificial Mummification Practice in the World
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |