The Baghdad ''Battery''

By Crusader1307

A curious artifact dating to 250 BC, The so called "Baghdad Battery" was discovered in Baghdad, Iraq in 1936. It sat uninvestigated until 1940. Upon closer examination, the device appears to be a battery. No small feat considering such items are thousands of years out of place. The device was said to have been used to electroplate various forms of jewelry and other pieces of fine articles. Constructed of a clay pot roughly 5-inches tall, the inside of the pot contains a copper cylinder with a single iron bar. The components were held firmly in place by a bitumen plug. Citric Acid (possibly lemon juice), served as the catalyst which produced a low electrical charge. Just how the "current" was applied in actuality is unclear. Conversely, one can read of The "mythical lights" which used to ring the streets of Ancient Baghdad. Where they powered by such devices or are they and the battery simply "misidentified" More importantly, "who" instructed their ancient makers in their construction?