10 Things Invented Way Earlier Than You’d Expect

7. Ancient Batteries: The Baghdad Battery

The discovery of the Baghdad Battery challenges our understanding of ancient technological capabilities. Dating back to the Parthian or Sassanid periods (around 150 BC to 650 AD), this artifact consists of a clay jar containing a copper cylinder and an iron rod. Some researchers believe it may have been used as a simple galvanic cell, capable of producing a small electrical charge. While its exact purpose remains a topic of debate, the Baghdad Battery suggests that ancient civilizations may have had a rudimentary understanding of electricity long before the modern era. This possibility opens up intriguing questions about the uses of electricity in ancient times, whether for electroplating, medicinal purposes, or other applications. The Baghdad Battery serves as a reminder of the vast, untapped knowledge of ancient peoples and the potential for hidden technologies that await discovery. It underscores the timeless human curiosity and the drive to harness natural forces for practical and innovative purposes.