Batteries of Babylon - In 1938, Dr. Wilhelm Kong, an Austrian archaeologist rummaging through the basement of the museum, made a find that was to drastically alter all our concepts of ancient knowledge. 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. With a background in mechanics, Dr. Konig recognized this configuration was not a chance arrangement - the clay pot was nothing less than an ancient electric battery. Ancient Explorers ancientexplorers
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 21:00:00 +0000