Anthropogenic Pb is the world's largest and most widespread heavy metal contamination. Inspired by recent evidence suggesting a faster redistribution of Pb through the mineral soil profile than was previously expected, we investigated the effects of rodent activity on Pb redistribution. Total Pb was analyzed at the 0-1, 1-4, and 4-7-cm depths in a rodent-affected soil and in an undisturbed soil, in the same proximity and with the same parent material, in the Box Springs Mountains near Riverside, California. Six replicate sites of each condition were sampled. Lead was recovered by a digest in 4MHNO3and measured using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Anthropogenic Pb content to a 7cm depth averaged 19 mg kg-1in undisturbed soils and 10 mg kg-1in rodent-affected soils. In both soils, the highest concentrations of Pb were located in the top 4 cm of the profile. After accounting for an estimated native Pb (≈3.3 mg kg-1), we determined that 20 to 38 kg ha-1Pb has been deposited on these soils through air pollution. Our findings suggest rodents significantly modify the distribution of anthropogenic Pb in the rodent-affected soils of the Box Springs Mountains primarily in two ways: (i) by reducing Pb concentration in surface soils, thereby decreasing the potential for erosional redistribution of Pb, and (ii) by decreasing Pb transport time through the soil profile as a result of physical mixing. This redistribution mechanism is likely applicable to other surface deposited anthropogenic contaminants that have similarly low soil mobility.