What teeth from a centuries-old cemetery can teach us about climate shocks and disease
Scientists say that climate shocks may have been ‘overlooked’ when researching certain diseases in the Industrial Revolution.
A centuries-old cemetery in northeast England is revealing insights into the impact of climate shocks on disease during the Industrial Revolution. This period, from around 1760 to 1840, saw Britain transition from a farming-based economy to a manufacturing powerhouse, fueled by heavy mining and coal burning. The resulting pollution, combined with harsh working conditions, cramped housing, and limited outdoor time, reduced the amount of sunlight people received.
Sunlight is crucial for the skin to produce vitamin D, essential for bone strength. Rickets, a condition where the growing skeleton fails to properly mineralise, was common among children during this era. However, it was previously thought that urbanisation, latitude, and socioeconomic factors were the primary causes. Scientists now believe that industrialisation coincided with the Little Ice Age, a cooling period lasting from the 13th to the 19th centuries, caused mainly by dips in solar activity and frequent volcanic eruptions that block sunlight.
A new study examines teeth from an abandoned cemetery called Coach Lane to determine if climatic fluctuations contributed to childhood vitamin D deficiencies. The researchers analysed 30 teeth from 21 individuals buried at the cemetery between 1711 and 1829. They found mineralisation failures in the dentin, the inner layer of the tooth, which could indicate vitamin D deficiency seasonally.
The data showed that 91 individuals born during or within 10 years after a large volcanic eruption had rickets. While the study doesn't quantify the impact of climate shocks on UV light exposure, the researchers are confident that climate was an important factor in vitamin D deficiency during the 18th and 19th centuries. They suggest that volcanic aerosols and low solar output reduced UV light, while cold, wet summers kept children indoors and wrapped up, limiting skin exposure.
However, they emphasise that this was not the only or primary cause of vitamin D deficiencies, as UV availability, rainfall, temperature, class, diet, occupation, latitude, and pollution all interacted. The study highlights the importance of considering climate variability, both natural and human-caused, when examining factors that shaped people's health.
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