A taste of hard work: assessing the utility of ancient tartar to track exposure to respiratory irritants of occupational origin in ancient skeletal remains (360G-Wellcome-209869_Z_17_Z)

My proposed cross-disciplinary research will elucidate the potential of ancient tartar to reveal exposure to a variety of respiratory irritants and their links to health in past societies by unlocking the signature of inhaled/ingested occupational debris and pollutants generated during crafting. Applying state-of-the-art microscopic methods in Archaeology and Physics, and working both with experimental archaeology and ancient skeletal material, my project aims to: analyze the full range of micro-particles (dietary and environmental) entrapped within the tartar of Roman and Medieval individuals to assess exposure to respiratory irritants, with a strong focus on those of occuational origin; characterize exposure to and inhalation of microscopic particles and pollutants produced during selected craft activities (e.g., pottery, textile production, woodwork) using experimental archaeology (i.e. microscopic occupational ‘signatures’); critically assess how micro-debris in calculus can be linked to other archaeological parameters to elucidate the involvement of ancient individuals in crafty activities and their link to health; expand our understanding of air pollutant exposures associated with traditional craft production, often carried out within developing societies as a means of poverty alleviation.