The Toxic Life Of A Medieval Lead Miner

Lead was an important building material and Tom and Peter mine their own using Tudor techniques, while Ruth makes a stained glass window. On the rivers owned by the monastery, tenant farmers could rent fishing rights. Ruth makes baskets to catch eels in and sets about trying to find some.
Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we'll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
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[@chasjetty8729]

This is how tv should be. Thanks for bringing this to us. Much appreciated.

[@lisanneschop7317]

Ruth is an amazing woman. Throughout the series she gives good leadership. She is a kind and knowledgeable woman, someone to respect.

[@megancrager4397]

I love watching Ruth being taught new things when she's usually the teacher ☺️ That man is so sweet about how he teaches her too

[@Pindrop22]

Entering those old mines seems rather dangerous

[@lynnclapper997]

This series is ADDICTIVE

[@sirlvcivs]

those are the best documentaries ever! ruth peter and tom are great, and i very hope they will do more and more and more documentaries like this! and actuallly.....where i can find a puzzle jug??

[@lacarnin]

The scene at 57:10 is a marvelous composition for a painting!

[@ckbeep1313]

Enjoy this series and others like it. Really wish tv and producers would make more shows similar to it. instead of the dumbing down of your intelligence of reality TV shows and fake people.

[@livescript4462]

For real

[@capbaby75]

I agree 💯

[@reallife3338]

Yeah there was a time a long time ago in the History channel was always like this

[@helenhoward5346]

Yeah. It really brings history to "life", excuse the cliche. It's humbling

[@helenhoward5346]

It's humbling to see how hard it was to just survive back then. It's easier to understand the historical social perspective. I mean, it's fascinating to see how one could've even possibly lived off the land; nearly everyone pulling their weight and putting in the hard sometimes meticulously tedious graft all day sometimes, although I realize they had rest periods as well.

[@trulyinfamous]

The size of the fire makes me think more of one for making limestone into lime rather than something for smelting a metal. The kiln they used for refining is more of what I was thinking of, but using charcoal instead of wood. I'm guessing the large fire is because the average farmer didn't have a whole lot of charcoal to spare back then.

[@jasonarcher7268]

I'd noticed that if I placed an oak log on top of my stove to preheat it before placing it inside, that it burned very energetically. I had no idea that I was making "white coal". Pretty cool though.

[@hicknopunk]

I do this, but just to drive a little water out of the next piece of wood.

[@moonasha]

@@hicknopunk same with campfires too. Get the wood as close as possible without it catching fire. I feel like everyone who learns to tend fires discovers this sooner or later

[@padfinancial1781]

Great video, hard to believe it doesn't have more views and comments. Love this kind if content, please keep them coming.

[@erickcontreraslopez5009]

The way they speak and learn at the same time make it more interesting and helps you learn even more.

[@vosechu]

There are so many wonderful tidbits in this series, I really appreciate it! I knew that eels were a delicacy, but I never knew how they were caught or prepared! Also, I didn’t realize that taverns would be under the churches ownership, but it absolutely makes sense; who else would have the cash to make something like that?

[@kalziumbones1557]

Love these documentaries.

[@Velmakinzy]

It’s so fun to see the enthusiasm of the historians as they experience the things they’ve worked so hard to study. I do wish they’d taken some more precaution around the lead though haha

[@lourdesetchecopar9825]

😊😊😊

[@lourdesetchecopar9825]

😊😊😊

[@joshzayas5144]

😊😊😊

[@cdfdesantis699]

This is absolutely one of the most enjoyable shows of its kind. Life was hard then, but these folks always manage to have fun with it.

[@takeohtyme]

So you're telling me... He who smelt it, dealt it? 😂

[@manK2022]

There should be a perfect audiobooks from this tv series. With professional narrators.

[@robertmoore8602]

Is there a playlist on this youtube channel that only contains the videos that have Ruth, Tom and Peter in them?? I notice only some do like the "Secrets of the castle" series. You can see in their faces and hear it in their voices the passion and enthusiasm they have for medieval history. It's awesome how they don't just talk about the topics but they actually LIVE it for a while. So cool. I can only find documentaries with them scattered about the channel. Thanks.

[@o.milonova9664]

In our times we can only envy the quality of the clothes of simple workers from the Tudor era.

[@amandapittar9398]

I love shows like this. When you think on it, most folk would be under 40, I wonder if there would be lots more children around than we are used to? I think it would be quieter, especially at night. No traffic and industrial noise in the background. Just the odd owl. How lovely. I wonder about the “crime” though, with villages and towns being smaller, it must have been harder to commit a crime. Oh questions, questions…..

lead has also been one of the most important materials in forming medieval ideas and philosophy.

[@kristinholzerart]

I adore this series! Love the team. Please make more just like this!!

[@carlycaye90]

yes awesome upload very epic !

[@sarcasmo57]

How did they know that there was lead there?

[@pauline1809]

they dug holes til they found lead

[@nope24601]

All that mining and not a bit of dust on them. These guys really are expert, huh?

[@thegrumpyamerican2174]

Whenever global society ultimately collapses due to the severities of our inevitable demise, I will be glad to have watched these because Tudor life may be the new normal within our lifetime.

[@mattgambill5543]

I wouldve figured trout and/or salmon and pike would be the top freshwater fish

[@jaminbenlavandera5717]

Greetings from Ensenada Baja California México. Thanks for your work and insight. Giving us a window in time. Taking a peek at the everyday life. In Tudor's England and it's hard work.

[@MarcoCuauhtemocMejia]

31:00 What a shame, the dissolution of the monasteries.

[@castoresnegros]

I would love to be teaching by that fine stain glass teacher.

[@julianlutchen4108]

I love drunk Ruth haha

[@MarcoCuauhtemocMejia]

Would women be allowed to drink ale in the pub/inn??

[@ronstewart9764]

Bring Alex back miss him

[@hudsonfrank1121]

Being a crafter I've made window panels like this before you can buy from your common craft store. Most of the time you just make your mold, put it in an oven safe tray and heat it to temp then let it cool down.

[@berenicemarchese1593]

really interesting but constant disruptions from ads spoils it.

[@Agent_McNugget]

Ah, before the age of Lead market price manipulation. Such great times!

[@mikealangaloe1774]

This looks like such fun....I want to go hang with this crew

[@juliawirch2454]

I wonder when they learned about the benefits of cutting glass under water...

[@chuckschillingvideos]

In medieval times, it didn't much matter what you did if you weren't in the clergy, royalty or nobility. Your occupation was almost certainly going to kill you.

[@marthaj67]

Is that Ruth's husband, Mark Goodman, at 44:09? Or do they just have the same surname? It's a common enough surname, I would guess. Does anyone know? 🤔

[@bonnymcdermott1240]

I just figured out who the narrator is...michelle dockery 🤗

[@teshayazzie3095]

Lol she’s right I was judging the eel by the looks. 🤢 I will take her word for it and go for the pigs.

[@vulkandrache1928]

Are you talking about eel in general? Try it if you ever get the chance.

[@preserveourpbfs7128]

How would entire tons of lead be moved? Or would there have never been a complete fother in that era?

[@MrSheckstr]

Those aren’t pillows! (If you have ever seen Planes trains and automobiles) But if you have only seen by foot, by hoof, and by wagon wheel I give you That’s not my knee!

[@moosekababs]

this is terrifying. i know they're trying to be age accurate but this is so scary....

[@morgorth3242]

about the melting of lead. why dont they just make a kiln? they did the effort to dry the oak.. with a type of oven.. why not also invest into a proper kiln?? and why not also just make charcoal instead??

[@thetrainwreck1469]

Did I miss the part how they made the color of the glass?

[@itsukori609]

No they didnt show how the glass was made. Just how it was cut/shaped and held into place with the lead

[@maxasaurus3008]

I know it’s not quite accurate to have our historians sporting huge goggles but SOME kind of eye protection is in order for mining sharp rocks.

[@Traderjoe]

Do eels have teeth that can bite you? Venomous?

[@adorablecockroach5131]

To my knowledge non are venomous, unless you mean sea snakes which are VERY venomous. Electric eels from the rain-forest can also give you a nasty shock too.

[@pjschmid2251]

Great how the church controlled so many aspects of people’s lives to their own financial advantage 🤨

[@LilStoops]

56:08 Doesn't bestiality get jail time in the modern era! You can chalk this up to 'archaeology'

[@tonymac1349]

Ginger Ruth 😮‍💨🤤

[@begusmegus6628]

"Basket maker Simon *Cooper*" It should be Simon Basket-maker then, if he's not a cooper then he should change it.

[@Tom_Quixote]

"600 degrees fahrenheit". Why is this series using fahrenheit? Use modern units please.

[@adorablecockroach5131]

Freedom units!

[@josesiliezar1758]

Seeing the single chamber bellows reminded me of the last election and the double political fellows As one politician is blowing hot air the other is going through your knickers to make sure "you've paid your fair share"...

[@ingabinga47]

i wish you would tiitle this as part of a series. Misleading. I like this but not you do this time and again

[@megancrager4397]

I've seen these series on other KZbin channels

[@all4one5]

LVL 1 peasant cap

[@bryanguzik]

Haha! Love the bold, and badly camouflaged, utilization of that overused old saw "those who control the present control the past". No hints, because if it's not glaringly obvious, then you've already been re-written. It's enough to stop me subscribing. For a purported history channel, what else will they fiddle with?

[@thejennadaisy]

This is a re-upload of a BBC show from 2013 my dude

[@bryanguzik]

@@thejennadaisy and?

[@StanHowse]

@@tinygrim Calm down Dr. Phil.. You kinda took this reply section over. Your "so what?" comment only begs the same damn question, so what? So what about what you think? So what if someone is "really sick", which I don't understand your implication of disease, from a comment about a TV show... Again, SO WHAT?

[@pauline1809]

sooo confused by this thread

[@bryanguzik]

@@pauline1809 understandable

[@charlie0008]

We need new documentaries not re runs

[@CONNELL19511216]

Re: runs - I get them far too often

[@charlie0008]

@@CONNELL19511216 this documentary has been out for years, they just re-edited it and put it out as if it were new. Re Runs suck

[@all4one5]

well a lot of ppl like me have never seen it. make your own docs then

[@CONNELL19511216]

@@all4one5 ppl like you will one day be in the same boat as ppl like us.

[@jonathanandrew2909]

How lazy/stupid can you be to not be able to find documentaries on KZbin?

[@erikowren7894]

And their teeth are just as bad. 😂

[@LonelyKnightess]

People in the medieval era had fairly good teeth. The largest cause of modern tooth decay is sugar.

[@sizzlinbacon21able]

Yes, Ruth definitely has a 100% peasant look. She looks like she's from the era...

[@Gotimenick]

See these videos are becoming less realistic.

[@shitbag.]

Thanks

[@larcomj]

so what im learning from this series is that the church was the original corporation

[@420JackG]

This business of going into a 130 years derelict mine sounds sort of dangerous.

[@shannoneckelbarger5566]

Danger is ok. This generation fears literally everything:) it is going to be ok. Viruses don't kill for the most part either. Vaccines are also dangerous but most don't avoid them.

[@dancingdemon1958]

oh god its hard to watch this, lead is poisonous even just holding or touching, they arent wearing any protective gear or ventilation, this is hard to watch (o o

[@davidschmidt270]

I really enjoy and appreciate this series... especially like the opening...the sun in the clouds...the very very faint voices...what is that called? It's really something else!

[@aztec4033]

As a huge history and ancient history buff. I would love to visit this part of the world.

[@barbc7698]

It’s true, here in Amish country we still say you get the best return of all livestock out of a hog. I don’t let mine just run, however, they are kept in the barn

[@KevinSterns]

That mine entrance resembles the eel trap (shudder).

[@01mickgreen]

Very interesting and well made. Way, way too many interruptions though...

[@Josephinekhalaf]

Why is my screen pitch black????

[@dominic.h.3363]

You know you could at least number the episodes so people could watch them in chronological order...

[@ratgirl34]

I now understand how the stereotype of farmers… loving their pigs very much…. Could have started.

[@raulayala7572]

Trade school student and history major here. I have most definitely enjoyed the series of documentaries offered by this channel. A fantastic insight into the life of working people of the past and the history of the trades.

[@Justanotherworker]

Ruth is awesome. Really helped make this docuseries as good as it is, for heavens sake 😊

[@ThePizzaGoblin]

Not much about the toxicity. Should change the title not to be so misleading

[@HolyPineCone]

I see what you did there, mis-lead-ing 😆 but the episode about surviving winter they didn't mention snow, cold or heating at all. They did mention food here and there but focused a whole lot on monastery tile floors. So this one was quite good in comparison.

[@generatoralignmentdevalue]

Meanwhile there's an episode this channel posted as "how did medieval people decorate their homes?" which doesn't answer that question at all...but this episode does. Good show but clickbait uploader.

[@mortalclown3812]

44:14 Ruth's husband Mark. :-) ♡♡

[@aarongusel442]

I’ve always wondered how they got all the metal so make weapons and armor throughout history. Mind blowing to me

[@joanhuffman2166]

Watching these poor guys pumping the bellows and remembering that Europeans were using inefficient single chamber bellows long after the Chinese had been using double chambered bellows. The single chambered bellows blows only intermittently. A double chambered bellows blows steadily as long as you pump it. As one chamber is filling up the other chamber is blowing air.

[@justadildeau]

And in conclusion?

[@SquiddlyInk]

@@justadildeau single chambered bellows blow....

[@larcomj]

that crude soldering iron make me really appreciate the one i have.

[@ashInTheWoods]

Y'all are really just out there raw doggin that lead eh?

[@MyPhobo]

oh hell no

[@superstar5123]

❤

[@frydemwingz]

I scrolled down here for the Stardew Valley jokes, and im not seeing any. Let me get you started Talk about how they might find dangerous slimes down there, note how in Stardew, you're a farmer that often mines metals, they are going to level their combat skill in there and then turn on the French, etc.

[@hicknopunk]

Eels are not fish. They would count as meat back then.

[@HolyPineCone]

I don't know about Tudor times but in medieval times anything that swam counted as fish. So they ate a lot of beaver when restraining from meat. They had similar ideas about birds and flying.

[@masonmurphy6968]

Eels are fish though..

[@hicknopunk]

@@HolyPineCone beaver as fish 🤣🤣😂 thanks for that insight

[@johndoeiii9767]

_"Our use of the phrase "The Dark Ages" to cover the period from 600 to 1000 marks our undue concentration on Western Europe .... From India to Spain, the brilliant civilization of Islam flourished. What was lost to Christendom at this time was not lost to civilization, but quite the contrary .... To us it seems that West-European civilization is civilization, but this is a narrow view."_ - Bertrand Russell

[@Alizudo]

You're obsessed with posting this, ain't ya'?

[@trustytrest]

Hows that relevant to peasant work

[@krushnaji4940]

Shut up

[@BenState]

Is Ruth a man?