I guess this qualifies as there’s nothing new under the sun.

A major factor causing environmental pollution is human land use activities. We have linked contaminated water, soil, and sediments to a variety of human activities, including farming, mining, and waste disposal. Recent research suggests pollution from human activities has been going on for at least 4,000 years (The Holocene 10.1177/0959683617729445). The researchers found elevated levels of metals such as cadmium and lead in sediment cores collected from the South China Sea, the source of which may be metalworking or possibly agricultural runoff. Another study in Spain found similarly high levels of lead from around the same time period (Sci. Tot. Environ., 2013. 449:451-460.). We’ve been affecting the environment for a long, long time.