Who discovered the 'Baghdad Battery'?

The popular belief concerning the so-called “Baghdad battery” In around 1938 or thereabouts, the Austrian painter Wilhelm König, who was serving as an assistant to the leader of the Baghdad Antiquity Administration, discovered the object that has now become known as the “Baghdad battery” in the storage room of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.

What is the 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.

Who discovered the ancient batteries in Iraq?

The ancient batteries were discovered by chance in 1936 in the ancient village of Khuhut Rabu, near today’s Iraqi capital. Two years later, German archaeologist Wilhelm Koenig studied and described them. He was the first to come to the surprising conclusion that it was a type of ancient battery.

Did the Baghdad Batteries produce electricity?

Even though there are very few documented experiments with the Baghdad Batteries, in 1978, Dr. Arne Eggebrecht from the Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim conducted a few experiments with Baghdad Battery models (replica) using grape juice as an acidic liquid and thin layers of silver, which supposedly resulted in the production of electricity.

What happens if the Baghdad Battery is on?

If the Baghdad battery is turned on, you will experience a weak electric current. However, if it is not, you will not feel anything. Either way, the ancient belief was that the gods were granting divine favor, and most worshipers would leave a donation to the temple.

How many batteries were found in Baghdad?

Some say the batteries were excavated, others that Konig found them in the basement of the Baghdad Museum when he took over as director. There is no definite figure on how many have been found, and their age is disputed. Most sources date the batteries to around 200 BC - in the Parthian era, circa 250 BC to AD 225.