  Recent abundance measurements in damped Lyman-alpha galaxies, supplemented
with unpublished Keck observations, are discussed. The metallicity distribution
with cosmic time is examined for clues about the degree of enrichment, the
onset of initial star formation, and the nature of the galxies. The relative
abundances of the elements are compared with the abundnce pattern in Galactic
halo stars and in the Sun, taking into account of the effects of dust
depletion, in order to gain insight into the stellar processes and the time
scales by which the enrichment occurred.
