Did Ancient Civilizations Know Asbestos Risks?

Asbestos is the name for a group of rocks that have amazing, almost magical properties. It’s fireproof, rust-proof, acid-proof - and breaks up into fibers like cotton, so you can spin asbestos rocks into threads and weave the thread into cloth. In the Ancient World, asbestos was prized for these qualities, and often called “rock wool”.

Nowadays we know that breathing asbestos fibers leads to major health problems, including cancer. But did people in the Ancient World know that it was unhealthy?

If you google “ancient asbestos” you will see a lot of scientists, engineers, and asbestos attorneys claiming that the Ancients knew asbestos was dangerous. But is it true?

[christastic]

Really Interesting subject and well narrated. Absolutely dislike the sideways camera shots as it makes you feel disconnected to the narrator so may as well be on the radio . It’s an annoying thing that so many feel they must do but it’s really really really annoying.