Physical description and dating
– Terracotta pot approximately 140mm (6in) tall
– 38mm (1.5in) mouth
– Copper cylinder containing a single iron rod
– Iron rod isolated from copper by bitumen with plugs or stoppers
– Artifact shows corrosion and exposure to weather
– Four sealed clay vessels found at Seleukeia in 1930
– Three vessels dated to late Sassanid period (5th to 6th centuries AD)
– Vessels sealed with bitumen and contained bronze cylinders
– Fourth jar contained broken glass
– Six clay vessels found in Ktesiphon in 1931, three sealed with bronze rolls
Theories concerning operation
– Origin and purpose of artifacts remain unclear
– Wilhelm König proposed galvanic cell hypothesis for electroplating
– Skeptics reject the electroplating theory
– Corrosion and tests indicate presence of acidic agent
– Speculation that liquid was used as an acidic electrolyte solution
Supporting experiments
– Willard Gray demonstrated current production using grape juice
– W. Jansen experimented with benzoquinone and vinegar
– Arne Eggebrecht reportedly reproduced electroplating of gold onto a small statue
– Lack of written or photographic records of Eggebrecht’s experiment
– Lack of quantifiable data and sources for supporting experiments
Controversies over use
– Lack of electrical connections between iron rod and copper tube
– Objects thought to be electroplated were fire-gilded with mercury
– No evidence for electroplating in the region at the time
– Bitumen seal would be inconvenient for a galvanic cell
– Alternative hypothesis suggests artifacts as storage vessels for sacred scrolls
References and external links
– Various authors and sources discussing the Baghdad Battery, including Brian Haughton, Arran Frood, Paul T. Keyser, Albert Al-Haik, and W. B. Hafford
– Reports and publications by Leroy Waterman, J. M. Upton, Emmerich Paszthory, Ernst Kühnel, and Wilhelm König
– Perspectives from Lenny Flank, David A. Scott, Elizabeth Frood, The Iron Skeptic website, and Michigan State University students
– Perspectives from archaeologist Elizabeth Stone, MythBusters, Ken Feder, and Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid podcast
– External links to Brian Dunning’s Skeptoid episode, M. Rossi’s YouTube video, and additional external links (if provided) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery
The Baghdad Battery is the name given to a set of three artifacts which were found together: a ceramic pot, a tube of copper, and a rod of iron. It was discovered in present-day Khujut Rabu, Iraq in 1936, close to the metropolis of Ctesiphon, the capital of the Parthian (150 BC – 223 AD) and Sasanian (224–650 AD) empires, and it is believed to date from either of these periods. Similar artifacts have been found at nearby sites.
Its origin and purpose remain unclear. It was hypothesized by Wilhelm König, at the time director of the National Museum of Iraq, that the object functioned as a galvanic cell, possibly used for electroplating, or some kind of electrotherapy, but there is no electroplated object known from this period, and the claims are near-universally rejected by archaeologists. An alternative explanation is that it functioned as a storage vessel for sacred scrolls.
The artifact disappeared in 2003 during the US-led invasion of Iraq.
