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Five thousand years of bellyaches: Exploring boron concentration in ancient populations of the Atacama Desert
Author(s) -
Arriaza Bernardo,
Blumenstiel David,
Amarasiriwardena Dulasiri,
Standen Vivien G.,
Vizcarra Arnoldo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.24155
Subject(s) - boron , population , archaeology , contamination , inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry , geography , geology , chemistry , biology , mass spectrometry , ecology , demography , organic chemistry , chromatography , sociology
Objectives This study explores whether ancient Atacama Desert populations in northern Chile were exposed to endemic boron contamination. Materials and methods Using Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS), we studied 144 strands of ancient mummy hair, ranging from 3000 B.C. to 1500 A.D., excavated from the Lluta, Azapa, and Camarones valleys in northern Chile. We tested whether these ancient populations showed signs of significant boron concentration in hair tissue. Results On average, all individuals from these valleys showed high boron concentrations, ranging from 1.5 to 4 times above the average boron concentration in contemporary hair (baseline <0.85 μg/g). The boron concentration in mummy hair varied according to the main geographic areas mentioned above. Conclusions The rivers of northern Chile have high geogenic boron concentrations. They contain 38 times above the recommended limit for human consumption. Geogenic boron contamination likely played a role in population morbidity and the types of crops that were cultivated in antiquity. The ancient populations were chronically affected by boron overexposure, suggesting that ancient geogenic water contamination should be considered when discussing the biocultural trajectories of ancient populations.