The Baghdad battery

The Baghdad batteryIn the 1930’s during the excavation of a village near Baghdad, archeologists encountered a battery – a 2000 year old battery to be omore precise. You can read more about the Baghdad battery and other world mysteries at http://www.world-mysteries.com. Read a short outtake from the World Mysteries homepage below:

In 1936, while excavating ruins of a 2000-year-old village near Baghdad, workers discovered mysterious small vase. A 6-inch-high pot of bright yellow clay dating back two millennia contained a cylinder of sheet-copper 5 inches by 1.5 inches. The edge of the copper cylinder was soldered with a 60-40 lead-tin alloy comparable to today’s solder. The bottom of the cylinder was capped with a crimped-in copper disk and sealed with bitumen or asphalt. Another insulating layer of asphalt sealed the top and also held in place an iron rod suspended into the center of the copper cylinder. The rod showed evidence of having been corroded with an acidic agent.

German archaeologist , Wilhelm Konig, examined the object and came to a surprising conclusion that the clay pot was nothing less than an ancient electric battery.

How did this highly useful technology stay hidden for 2000 years or more? What would have been the consequence of man being able to harness electricity back then? I find the question intriguing!