The Parthian battery

The first identification of circumstances producing current electricity was made in 1791/92 by the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani. It was the outgrowth of an accidental and commonplace observation. Galvani had stumbled by pure accident on the phenomenon of “current” electricity in contrast to “static” electricity. His work was instrumental in leading his fellow countryman Alessandro Volta to the invention of the first electric battery, known as “Voltaic pile”, which worked as a source of constant current electricity. So Galvani provided the major stimulus for Volta to build a source of electricity with its principles of operation combined from chemistry and physics. Volta’s invention was truly an important scientific discovery, because it was the first method found for the generation of a sustained electric current. His electric cell was a sensation since it enabled high electric currents to be produced for the first time. Today’s use of electricity as a powerful form of energy is based on the studies and inventions of these two scientists. Their discoveries in the 18th century led to the subsequent age of electric power whose application has transformed our civilization. Until 1938, according to all texts on history of science the electric battery was invented in 1800 by Volta. The discovery of a little jar in 1936 near Baghdad suggested, however, that Volta might not have invented the battery, but reinvented it. The jar found together with some other peculiar objects was first described by Wilhelm König in 1938, who put forward the daring idea that the find could be a kind of galvanic element. Ever since this discovery, scientists from all over the world have been performing extensive experiments to confirm or to refute König’s idea. The present book tells the story of König’s discovery and evaluates what his supporters and opponents have said or written about his idea.