Yes

No amount of lead exposure is safe, even the smallest contamination is disastrous for cognitive health

There's an unfortunate disconnect between ecological historians and health scientists concerning the subject of lead specifically: the historians have come to conclusion that yes there was exposure in ancient times, but it wasn't "that high" (according to a very 1970s understanding of "acceptable" lead exposure) while over the last 15 years health scientists have shown there is no such thing as acceptable lead exposure, it is one of the most potent neurotoxins known to humankind and it is insidious in how in even small amounts it continually destroys the brain

Interdisciplinary collaboration is so goddamn important, but the scourge of hyperspecialization in modern scientific practice has left entire fields with enormous blind spots

if lead is so bad for you why is it an irresistible treat?

this air pollution enhanced childhood blood lead levels (BLLs) by about 2.4 µg/dl leading to widespread cognitive decline including an estimated 2.5-to-3 point reduction in intelligence quotient

Should immediately discard anything that tries to reinforce its argument with IQ imo

Rome collapsed due to the contradictions of its slave economy. In order to pay its soldiers, Rome promised them land and slaves. In order to acquire those, Rome had to conqueror more territory, which required more soldiers, who were paid with land and slaves, so Rome had to conqueror more territory....etc. etc. repeat over and over.

Eventually they resorted to the use of mercenaries. Multiple assassinations of high ranking leaders caused civil wars, instability, etc. This made them vulnerable to invasion, which is exactly what happened and the Visigoths sacked Rome. They moved the capital and continued for several hundred years, but had declined to a fraction of what they once were.

Tell me you made tangential extrapolations without telling me you made tangential extrapolations.

including an estimated 2.5-to-3 point reduction in intelligence quotient.

Ah. Perfection.

Liberals try and fail to create historical materialism yet again. It is wild to me that intelligent well read people are still shocked that things happen for reasons

It did not. People in the 70s had much higher lead exposures and a society that was both more complex and more precarious, and it didn’t collapse. And actually Rome didn’t collapse in the time period of especially high exposure either, it went on for several hundred years afterwards

I mean, it's one part certainly, though not one of the main ones

it did not fall , it just got fixed..

it fell in 1806.. via Napoleon