The Baghdad Battery
A small clay jar found near Baghdad, with a copper tube and an iron rod inside, was claimed to be a battery 2,000 years old.
What was reported
In 1936, a small clay jar was found near Baghdad, dating from the Parthian or Sasanian period, roughly 2,000 years ago. Inside was a copper cylinder and an iron rod, which had corroded.
In 1938, the German archaeologist Wilhelm König suggested it was a galvanic battery, perhaps used for electroplating. Replicas filled with vinegar or grape juice can produce a small electric current, and the idea became famous.
Explanations offered
Most archaeologists think the jar was a container for storing sacred scrolls, as similar jars from the region held rolled-up papyrus. No wires or other electrical equipment have been found with it, and ancient electroplating has not been confirmed.
- When
- About 2,000 years old; found in 1936
- Where
- Khujut Rabu, near Baghdad, Iraq
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.