| Description and dating | | | | The artifacts strongly resemble another type of object |
| The artifacts consist of terracotta jars approximately | | | | with a known purposeamely, storage vessels for |
| 130 mm (5 in) tall (with a one and a half inch mouth) | | | | sacred scrolls from nearby Seleucia on the Tigris. |
| containing a copper cylinder made of a rolled-up | | | | Those vessels do not have the outermost clay jar, but |
| copper sheet, which houses a single iron rod. At the | | | | are otherwise almost identical. Since it is claimed these |
| top, the iron rod is isolated from the copper by bitumen | | | | vessels were exposed to the elements, it would not |
| plugs or stoppers, and both rod and cylinder fit snugly | | | | be at all surprising if any papyrus or parchment inside |
| inside the opening of the jar, which bulges outward | | | | had completely rotted away, perhaps leaving a trace |
| towards the middle. The copper cylinder is not | | | | of slightly acidic organic residue. |
| watertight, so if the jar was filled with a liquid containing | | | | In the media |
| citric acid, this would surround the iron rod as well. The | | | | The idea that the battery could have produced usable |
| artifact had been exposed to the weather and had | | | | levels of electricity has been put to the test at least |
| suffered corrosion, although mild given the presence of | | | | twice. |
| an electrochemical couple. This has led some | | | | On the 1980 British Television series Arthur C. Clarke's |
| scholars[who?] to believe lemon juice, grape juice, or | | | | Mysterious World, Egyptologist Dr Arne Eggebrecht |
| vinegar was used[citation needed] as an acidic | | | | used a recreation of the battery, filled with grape juice, |
| electrolyte solution to generate an electric current from | | | | to produce half a volt of electricity, demonstrating for |
| the difference between the electrochemical potentials | | | | the programme that the battery could electroplate a |
| of the copper and iron electrodes. | | | | silver statuette in two hours, using a gold cyanide |
| Knig thought the objects might date to the Parthian | | | | solution. Dr Eggebrecht speculated that museums |
| period (between 250 BC and AD 224). However, | | | | could contain many items mislabelled as gold when |
| according to Dr St John Simpson of the Near Eastern | | | | they are merely electroplated. However, doubt has |
| department of the British Museum, their original | | | | recently been cast on the validity of these |
| excavation and context were not well recorded (see | | | | experiments. |
| stratigraphy), so evidence for this date range is very | | | | In 1999, the Disney Channel original TV series So |
| weak. Furthermore, the style of the pottery (see | | | | Weird featured the battery in the opening portion of |
| typology) is Sassanid (224-640). | | | | the show. |
| Most of the components of the objects are not | | | | The Discovery Channel program MythBusters |
| particularly amenable to advanced dating methods. | | | | determined that it was indeed plausible for ancient |
| The ceramic pots could be analysed by | | | | people to have used the Baghdad Battery for |
| thermoluminescence dating, but this has apparently not | | | | electroplating or electrostimulation. On MythBusters' |
| yet been done; in any case, it would only date the firing | | | | 29th episode (which aired on March 23, 2005), ten |
| of the pots, which is not necessarily the same as | | | | hand-made terracotta jars were fitted to act as |
| when the complete artifact was assembled. Another | | | | batteries. Lemon juice was chosen as the electrolyte |
| possibility would be ion diffusion analysis, which could | | | | to activate the electrochemical reaction between the |
| indicate how long the objects were buried. | | | | copper and iron. (Oddly enough, it was discovered that |
| Speculations on function | | | | a single lemon produced more voltage than one of the |
| This section may contain original research. Please | | | | batteries when using copper and zinc.) However, the |
| improve it by verifying the claims made and adding | | | | batteries which they reproduced did not produce a |
| references. Statements consisting only of original | | | | substantial amount of energy and had to be |
| research may be removed. More details may be | | | | connected in series in order to achieve a 4 V |
| available on the talk page. (July 2009) | | | | potential drop and test the theories. |
| Electrical | | | | The show's research staff proposed three possible |
| Copper and iron form an electrochemical couple, so | | | | uses: electroplating, medical pain relief (through |
| that in the presence of any electrolyte, an electric | | | | acupuncture), and religious experience. It was |
| potential (voltage) will be produced. Knig had observed | | | | discovered that when linked in series the cells indeed |
| a number of very fine silver objects from ancient Iraq | | | | had sufficient power to electroplate a small token. For |
| which were plated with very thin layers of gold, and | | | | acupuncture, the batteries produced a "random" pulse |
| speculated that they were electroplated using batteries | | | | that could be felt through the needles; however, it |
| with these being the cells. After the Second World | | | | began to produce a painful burning sensation when the |
| War, Willard Gray demonstrated current production by | | | | batteries were grounded to two needles at once. For |
| a reconstruction of the inferred battery design when | | | | the religious experience aspect of the batteries, a |
| filled with grape juice. W. Jansen experimented with | | | | replica of the Ark of the Covenant was constructed, |
| benzoquinone (some beetles produce quinones) and | | | | complete with two cherubim. Instead of linking the |
| vinegar in a cell and got satisfactory performance. | | | | cherubim's golden wings to the low power batteries, an |
| However, even among those who believe the artifacts | | | | electric fence generator was connected. When |
| were electrical devices, electroplating as a use is not | | | | touched, the wings produced a strong feeling of |
| well regarded today. Paul Craddock of the British | | | | tightness in the chest. Although the batteries |
| Museum said "The examples we see from this region | | | | themselves had not been used, it was surmised that, |
| and era are conventional gold plating and mercury | | | | due to the apparent lack of knowledge of electricity, |
| gilding. There never been any untouchable evidence to | | | | any form of electrical sensation from them could |
| support the electroplating theory." The gilded objects | | | | equate to the divine presence in the eyes of ancient |
| which Knig thought might be electroplated are now | | | | people. In the end, the Baghdad battery myth was |
| believed to have been fire-gilded (with mercury). | | | | found plausible on all three accounts. |
| Reproduction experiments of electroplating by Dr Arne | | | | The History Channel 2008 documentary Ancient Aliens |
| Eggebrecht consumed "many" reproduction cells to | | | | uses the battery as evidence of alien involvement in |
| achieve a plated layer just one micrometre thick. Other | | | | ancient civilizations, suggesting that Ancient Egyptians |
| scientists noted that Dr Eggebrecht used a more | | | | could have lighted the pyramids with electric lights. |
| efficient, modern electrolyte; using only vinegar, the | | | | The comic strip Get Fuzzy referenced the Baghdad |
| battery is very feeble.[citation needed] | | | | Battery on April 24, 2009. |
| An alternative, but still electrical explanation was | | | | The Baghdad Batteries were a punk band |
| offered by Paul Keyser. It was suggested that a priest | | | | (2006-2009) in Chico, Ca. During their short existence |
| or healer, using an iron spatula to compound a vinegar | | | | they played numerous shows in and around Chico, |
| based potion in a copper vessel, may have felt an | | | | recorded two albums and were awarded the title of |
| electrical tingle, and used the phenomenon either for | | | | "best" punk band by the Chico News and Review at |
| electro-acupuncture, or to amaze supplicants by | | | | the 2009 yearly Cammie awards. |
| electrifying a metal statue.[citation needed] However, | | | | See also |
| this is dubious, since a "tingle" requires a far higher | | | | Dendera light |
| voltage than can be generated by an iron/copper | | | | Galvanization |
| cell.[citation needed] | | | | History of electromagnetism |
| Non-electrical | | | | History of the battery |
| Skeptical archaeologists see the electrical experiments | | | | Leyden jar |
| as embodying a key problem with experimental | | | | References |
| archaeology; such experiments can only show that | | | | ^ "Paranormal Image Gallery - Ancient Mysteries |
| something was physically possible, they say nothing | | | | Aztec carving of ancient astronaut". Unexplained |
| about whether it actually occurred. Further, there are | | | | Mysteries. Retrieved 2009-11-14. |
| many difficulties with the interpretation of these | | | | ^ The Baghdad Battery |
| artifacts as galvanic cells:the bitumen completely | | | | ^ Frood, Arron, Riddle of "Baghdad's batteries" |
| covers the copper cylinder, electrically insulating it, so | | | | ^ Frood, Arron,Riddle of "Baghdad's batteries" |
| no current can be drawn without modifying the | | | | ^ Welfare, S. and Fairley, J. Arthur C Clarke's |
| design;there are not any wires or conductors with | | | | Mysterious World (Collins 1980), pp. 62-64. |
| them;no widely accepted electrical equipment is | | | | ^ Riddle of 'Baghdad's batteries' |
| associated with them. (Controversial stone reliefs | | | | ^ [dead link] |
| depicting arc lights have been suggested, however the | | | | Further reading |
| voltages obtained are orders of magnitude below | | | | Von Handorf, D E., The Baghdad battery - myth or |
| what would be needed to produce arc lighting);a | | | | reality?. Plating and Surface Finishing (USA). Vol. 89, no. |
| bitumen seal, being thermoplastic, is excellent for | | | | 5, pp. 8487. May 2002 |
| forming a hermetic seal for long term storage. It would | | | | External links |
| be extremely inconvenient however for a galvanic cell, | | | | '"Riddle of 'Baghdad's batteries" BBC article, 27 |
| which would require frequent topping up of the | | | | February, 2003. |
| electrolyte (if they were intended for extended use). | | | | |