Reflection Essay on the Baghdad Battery
Hello, Joshua, your reflective essay on the Baghdad Battery is quite informative! I find it more enjoyable with a lot of archaeological facts well documented. Your views regarding the historic artefacts resonate well with mine. I agree with you that the notion that history is a mirror is a severe bone of contention with different schools of thoughts having divergent views regarding the subject. However, from my history class, I concur with you! I was taught that history is a reflection of events: the past events provide a glimpse of the present and the future.
Consequently, your assertion that whatever happens today might be a repeat of events that occurred in the past is real. Sociology indeed supports this fact. Sociological studies have revealed sufficient evidence in support of this claim. Often, humans tend to revive fashions and other sociological behaviours exhibited by past generations. I equally have a concern whether technical fields also believe in the same sentiments and views held by sociologists. I somehow disagree with the historical view you have posted on the degenerative growth of technology, bearing in mind that technological advances are based on the existing discoveries. For instance, the development of microcomputers originated from mainframe computers. In this regard, I feel that technological progress does not obey the old order of recapitulation. Instead, technology is progressive, and the past only reflects a rudimentary form that can be used to improve more refined materials or equipment in the future. The artefacts in the museums spread across the globe are a source of vital information. However, it is imperative to underscore that such pieces of information gathered from museums are relevant to historians since they have very little information to engineers, scientists and other science scholars.
It is true that there are several indicators that point to the fact that human beings could have possibly discovered and used electricity before the breakthrough by Alessandro Volta, who is presumably the official founder of power in 1799 and Baghdad Battery is one such artefact. From the composition of the items that comprised of Baghdad Battery, one could hypothesise that it might have been the rudimentary source of electricity that mankind must have invented. The fact that there were silver and layers of gold, which are both excellent conductors of electricity strongly supports this assertion. Besides, I also agree with you that the corrosion of the metal may have pointed out the possibility of use of acidic substances such as vinegar or wine that might have been used as electrolytes. I also support your view that the generation of electric current through chemical reactions require simple items, thereby qualifying the Baghdad Battery to be associated directly with such discovery (Von-Handorf, Crotty 84).
Despite the claims that Baghdad Battery indicates the initial attempt by humans to generate electricity, there are several missing links. First, it is a speculative proposition that does not have reliable facts to support it. To date, it is in the record that the original purpose of the artefacts is still unclear. Additionally, the corrosion on the walls of the jar may have been due to other factors like coming into contact with moisture and not necessarily acidic substances. Given the time it has taken, no doubt it had to rust even in the absence of acidic materials such as vinegar (Von-Handorf, Crotty 86). Besides, the examination of the area reveals a lack of any signs of electrical connections. Consequently, it is difficult to justify that the plates and iron rods were used for generating electricity. Baring in mind that electric current flows in circuits that are made using wires, when such connectivity lacks then it is apparent that there is no sign of generation of electrical power.
Further, borrowing from the views of David Scott, the opinions by writers in the field of technology to link the artefacts with electroplating is untenable due to lack of evidence to support that school of thought. He asserts in his writing that during the period, there were no signs of electroplating in the region.
Lastly, reasoning from the alternative hypothesis, I also find it challenging to associate the artefacts with electroplating. The items resemble a different type of objects with known purpose: storage vessels. In this light, it would be true that the vessels were used to store sacred scrolls from Tigris. In the line of this view, the duration of storage might have led to rotting of the manuscripts made from papyrus reeds leaving the traces of acidity since the scrolls were made from organic materials with organic content (Von-Handorf, Crotty 84). This view, demystifies the notation that the vessels might have been used for electricity generation since to date objects are made in that shape for storage purposes. In, my view, the fact that the Baghdad Battery is a sign of ancient generation and use of electricity remains a contestable debate that can go either way.
Works Cited
Von-Handorf, Crotty. “The Baghdad Battery: Myth or reality?” Plating and surface finishing, vo. 89, no. 5, 2002, p84-84-87.