Longstanding beliefs about ancient technological and medical knowledge were placed under scrutiny when Paul T. Keyser’s published an article in the 1990s challenging the conventional narrative of ancient technological and medical ignorance. Writing in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Keyser proposed that ancient batteries and electric eels might have been utilized for medical purposes, potentially for pain relief or anesthesia.
This hypothesis raises intriguing questions about the true function of the Baghdad Battery, a mysterious artifact from antiquity. As archaeological and textual evidence continues to emerge, scholars are reevaluating our understanding of ancient civilizations and their capabilities in technology and medicine.
Drawing of the Baghdad Battery. (Ironie / CC BY-SA 2.5)
Debating the Purpose of the “Baghdad Battery”
The Baghdad Battery, sometimes referred to as the Parthian Battery, is a clay pot which encapsulates a copper cylinder. Suspended in the center of this cylinder—but not touching it—is an iron rod. Both the copper cylinder and the iron rod are held in place with an asphalt plug.
These artifacts (more than one so-called “Baghdad Battery” was found) were discovered during the 1936 excavations of the old village Khujut Rabu, near Baghdad in Iraq. The village is considered to be about 2,000 years old and was built during the Parthian period which dates back to between 250BC and 224 AD. For some, the Baghdad Battery is thought to provide insight into…
