Archaeologists in Leeds Unearth 600 Lead-Spiked, 19th-Century Beer Bottles


March 26, 2020

In late 19th-century Leeds, the drinks were plentiful and strong—and, unfortunately, spiked with quite a bit of lead.

Archaeological Services WYAS’ ongoing excavation of a series of Georgian and Victorian period cellars has revealed an unexpected cache of centuries-old beer bottles some 600 strong, reports Andrew Hutchinson for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Originally thought to be some sort of ginger beer, the liquid that remains within actually appears to contain both alcohol and toxic metal contaminants, perhaps left by lead pipes feeding into the water brewers used to concoct their boozy batch.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ite-180974513/