FURTHER EVIDENCE OF LEAD CONTAMINATION OF OMAHA SKELETONS - BRIEF COMMUNICATION

A previous analysis of Omaha skeletons dating between A.D. 1780 and 18 20 revealed the presence of lead in all skeletons with high concentrat ions in children and adult males (Reinhard and Ghazi [1992] Am. J. Phy s. Anthropol. 89:183-195). Two likely explanations for the high lead l evels were presented: 1) metabolic absorption of lead and 2) diageneti c uptake of lead by the bones from postmortem application of pigments to the corpse. Two types of lead were available to the Omaha tribe: 1) Mississippi Valley type, and 2) non-Mississippi Valley type. It has b een suggested that red-lead pigment mixed with mercury sulphide (cinna bar) applied to the corpse may have been one of the sources of lead fo und in bones. Further isotopic analyses of samples of pigment and meta llic lead artifacts associated with the skeletons revealed that non-Mi ssissippi Valley type lead is present in the pigment while Mississippi Valley type lead comes from metallic artifacts. Both lead and mercury were found in the pigment samples, verifying that a lead-based pigmen t mixed with cinnabar-based pigment was used as a cosmetic by the Omah a. Isotopic analysis of lead in skeletons indicates that the pigment c ontributed most to lead content of bone. This new evidence clarifies t he previous study and suggests specific mechanisms by which lead becam e incorporated into bone. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.