Baghdad Battery
Iraq - A Cradle of Civilization
The area known as Mesopotamia was an early adopter of agriculture, sun dials, the number zero, wheels, and a number of other inventions.
Although many of these early inventions were found in other locations around the world, all of them were found here - and from a very early time.
Mesopotamia was located in what we know as Iraq. Iraq is nestled between Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East. East of Egypt and the rest of the African continent, but West of the Asian continent.
This clay tablet records how much barley was sold in a transaction that happened about 3200 BCE
But there is something else that was found in the area that has been at the center of debate for a while, because people can't decide what the items were used for...
The Clay Jars... (roughly 250 BCE)
In 1938, a number of small jars were found. The jars were very unique.
They are pottery jars made from clay with a stopper in the top made of asphalt - a mixture of sand and pitch (tar).
Sticking through the asphalt is an iron rod that is surrounded by a copper cylinder.
The inside of the jar showed signs of corrosion, and after some testing, it was discovered that some sort of acidic agent - such as vinegar or wine - had been housed inside.
This revelation led a German Archaeologist to declare that these jars were ancient batteries.
Ancient Batteries?
The modern era of batteries started in 1799 with the invention of the Voltaic Pile by Alessandro Volta. It looked like this.
There were a large variety of different inventions, all trying to improve upon this design, making a stronger, safer, or more longer lasting battery. Some of those looked like the images on the right.
By the time the 1930s came around, batteries looked very much like the ones we have today - inside and out.
This image shows the cross section of a modern battery design.
This image shows a recreation of the jar, cut in half.
But Does it really work?
So, it looks like a battery, but does it work? The short answer is, yes. If the center of the jar is filled with an acidic agent like vinegar, then an electrical current is produced. Multiple schools and scholars have done studies, including MythBusters.
Some people think that ancient people used a type of electricity in their metal working - to plate one type of metal on top of another - called electroplating.
it *can* do that, but *did* it do that?
So, we know that these ancient clay jars with copper cylinders COULD make an electrical charge, but that doesn't mean that is what they were actually USED for.
There have been other items found. Copper or Bronze cylinders identical to the ones inside of the jars, along with metal rods. The difference? They were used to store scrolls. The scrolls were wrapped around the metal rods and protected with the cylinder.
Some people think that the cylinders and rods were used for scrolls, and placed into the jar for safe keeping.
Replica of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls - those scrolls did not have rods inside.
Pros and cons of both ideas...
THE BATTERY IDEA:
CON - The story of the German Archaeologist has some holes. In one story he found them in a small village. In another story, he found them in the basement of The Baghdad Museum when he took over as director. No one knows the truth.
PRO - The Chinese invented gunpowder before they fully understood the principles of combustion - so people have invented and used things without knowing *why* they work.
PRO - Connecting multiple objects like this together does generate a large current
CON - They have to be connected with wires, and no sign of wires have ever been found - nor is there any identifiable way of adding the acidic solution once the jar has been sealed.
THE SCROLL STORAGE IDEA:
CON - The jars are much smaller than other scroll storage jars that have been found. They would have been very small scrolls.
PRO - Ancient peoples reused items far more than we do today, and they would have been likely to reuse a jar/vase for another purpose.
PRO - This is a far less fantastical idea, one that goes along with everything we already know about the area and the technology of the time.
CON - Modern people have underestimated Ancient knowledge before, and this could be the same situation
questions to ask yourself...
Who made these items?
What were they used for?
Why haven't any more been found?
Were they a special item that only a certain person or type of person could use, or could anyone use them?
How were they lost to time?
Were they hidden or just forgotten?
More information...
There is no scientific agreement on this topic. Feel free to look around these websites for more information about Ancient Iraq. You might discover something that inspires you in your story!
NOTE:
Be aware that some of the sites included here are NOT 100% factual. Many people write about things, and don't tell you where they got their information. This makes it unreliable if you are writing a report. But when you are getting ideas for a fictional story, these type of ideas can be fun to think about.
ATLAS OBSCURA - Baghdad Battery in the National Museum of Iraq
BBC NEWS - Riddle of 'Baghdad's Batteries'
THE IRAQ MUSEUM - The museum had many items stolen during the Gulf War, and is still recovering. They are not always open, like museums in the U.S. They do not have images of the "Baghdad Battery" but they do have images of other artifacts they have.
REPRODUCTION OF THE BATTERY - A college class was done to create an electrical charge with reproductions
The Museum of UnNatural Mystery - A collection of things that range from mostly true to completely made up (but fun) stuff
OTHER INFO OF NOTE:
World War II was officially declared in September of 1939
The German Archaeologist, Wilhelm König, wrote a book in 1940, but his birth and death date are difficult (if not impossible) to find online. There were multiple people in that time with that name that come up in basic internet searches. An actor, a doctor, a Nazi...