Elixir and Archaeotoxicology: Mercury Levels in the Bones of Populations in Ancient China

ABSTRACT Mercury and cinnabar were widely used in ancient China. This study aims to assess mercury exposure in ancient Chinese populations and analyze the causes of different mercury exposure patterns. Total mercury (THg) concentration was measured in 99 human skeletal samples across five archaeological sites (fifth century bce to 19th century) in the middle and lower Yellow River regions, using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV‐AAS). Elevated THg levels were found in some tombs from the Han Dynasty and Tang Dynasty; notably, eight individuals of the Tang Dynasty had THg concentrations greater than 1 μg/g. Multiple factors explain these elevated concentrations: the use of Hg‐containing products, consumption of alchemical elixirs, and medicinal practices—with alchemical ingestion being the most probable source of extreme Hg accumulation.