The Baghdad Battery: Did Ancient Civilizations Discover Electricity?
Published: July 3, 2026
Duration: 10:39
In ancient Mesopotamia, a simple clay jar may hold one of history’s strangest mysteries: the Baghdad Battery. Discovered near modern-day Iraq, this artifact contains a copper cylinder and iron rod—components that, when combined with liquid, can produce a small electric current.
But was it really a battery?
In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, we explore the deep history of Mesopotamia—from the Sumerians and Babylonians to the Parthian Empire—to understand how such an object could exist. Was it used for electroplating? Religious rituals? Or is it simply being misinterpreted through a modern lens?
We...
But was it really a battery?
In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, we explore the deep history of Mesopotamia—from the Sumerians and Babylonians to the Parthian Empire—to understand how such an object could exist. Was it used for electroplating? Religious rituals? Or is it simply being misinterpreted through a modern lens?
We...