Was a 2000 year-old jar the world’s first battery?

Most historians believe the first working battery was built in 1800 by scientist Alessandro Volta. However, some archaeologists have theorised a 2000 year-old clay jar, excavated from near Baghdad, could have been an early form of an electrochemical cell. Researchers have attempted to prove this theory by reconstructing the Bagdhad battery, but have been unsuccessful. Now, an independent researcher has designed a reconstruction that generates a significant electrical current – and potentially evidence that this clay jar was a working battery. Download the story and the accompanying summary slide for a real-world context when studying metals, electrolysis and electrochemical cells with your 14–16 learners.