1 day ago
It is no longer up for debate: tobacco use has devastating effects on human health. Even today, researchers continue to uncover new harmful consequences linked to it.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Leicester, published in the journal Science Advances, reveals a surprising discovery: tobacco leaves chemical traces in human bones centuries after death.
The research team analyzed the bones of 323 individuals recovered from two different sites. The skeletons were divided into two groups: the first group belonged to individuals who lived before tobacco was introduced to Europe, between 1150 and 1500; the second group consisted of people who lived after its introduction, between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Tobacco’s metabolic fingerprint in bones
By examining cortical bone, the dense tissue forming the outer layer of bones, researchers found notable differences between skeletons of individuals who could not have had access to tobacco and those who consumed it after its arrival in Europe.
Typically, identifying smokers from that era requires examining their teeth. Smokers often show distinctive marks caused by inexpensive pipes that carved grooves into their teeth. In other cases, regular tobacco use left dark stains on the enamel.
However, for the first time, scientists identified smokers even when these dental signs were absent, relying solely on chemical changes detected in their bones.
Not everyone used cheap pipes back then, but those who did inadvertently chipped their teeth. © University of Leicester“Our research shows that there are significant differences in the molecular characteristics found in the bones of former smokers compared with non-smokers,” explained Dr. Sarah Inskip, co-author of the study.
A new tool for archaeology
These findings open new possibilities for archaeologists. It may now be possible to identify tobacco use using skeletal remains alone, even when teeth or other visible clues are missing. Chemical analysis of bones could become an essential tool for reconstructing the social and health practices of past populations.
The study also revealed an unexpected detail: a significant number of women and teenagers appeared among the smokers of the time. This suggests tobacco consumption was not limited solely to adult men, as previously assumed.
Together, these discoveries offer a fascinating new window into everyday life centuries ago. By studying the subtle chemical signatures preserved in bones, scientists can now trace habits and behaviors that once seemed impossible to detect long after death.
