October
30
/ 2026
Fact Check verdict: The Baghdad Battery was an ancient electric battery: Unverified The find is a clay jar holding a sealed copper cylinder and an iron rod, from a Parthian settlement layer near Baghdad: Established Replicas filled with an acid or copper sulfate solution produce about half a volt: Established The jar was designed as two linked cells giving more than 1.4 volts: Unverified Its makers used it to electroplate objects with gold or silver: Unverified It was used to relieve pain with a mild electric current: Unverified The verdict A January 2026 paper has jolted an old archaeological puzzle back to life by reporting that a replica of the so-called Baghdad Battery can deliver more than 1.4 volts. The
