A 2000 Year Old Clay Pot used as World’s First Battery
tendai keith guvamombe
Discovered near Baghdad in 1936, the Baghdad Battery is a remarkable set of artifacts, potentially representing the world’s oldest known electric cell.
Dating back to the Parthian or Sasanian periods, possibly between 250 BCE and 640 CE, this curious assembly—a small clay jar containing a copper cylinder and an iron rod, sealed with asphalt—has fascinated and divided archaeologists and scientists for decades.
When filled with an acidic electrolyte like vinegar or wine, as demonstrated in modern recreations, the device functions as a galvanic cell, producing a small electrical voltage, typically between 0.5V and 2.0V.
Though its true purpose remains debated—alternatives include a vessel for sacred scrolls or an instrument for traditional medicine—the hypothesis that it was an early form of a battery holds significant weight.
If its electrical function is confirmed, it would predate Alessandro Volta’s 1800 invention of the modern battery by centuries.
The most popular electrical theory, proposed by its discoverer, Wilhelm König, is that the cells were connected to provide power for electroplating (gilding silver with a thin layer of gold) or for a form of electrotherapy for pain relief.
As an artifact that challenges our understanding of ancient technological sophistication, the Baghdad Battery certainly qualifies as a piece of “vintage” technology in the truest sense of the word.
While the term usually refers to items from a more recent past appreciated for their age and quality, a 2,000-year-old object that embodies the very first known attempt to harness electrochemical power is a primal vintage in the history of innovation.
It represents a foundational, albeit disputed, moment in electrical science, making it an extraordinary relic.
