I watched an item on the tv about this so called baghdad battery, and if nothing else it reminded me how you have to be careful of presenters.
The guy who was presenting the article had before him a selection of bits to replicate the battery (actually, cell) and what he produced was a simple unit with the two electrodes, the little earthenware jar and some wine vinegar as an electrolyte. So far, so good.
Sticking the two electrodes in a lemon would hace produced the same result. But I digress.
He then connected a digi VOM across the electrodes and, pointing the camera at the meter declared ' see, over two volt from this simple battery (sic)'. And indeed, the meter shower 247.
This immediately rang alarm bells and my Bull S*** detector started ringing.
Closer examination shower it was switched to the milliVolt range. So he was getting 0.247 Volt. Not 2.47 Volt as he was claiming.
This seemed more reasonable.
It is agree that the device, if it ever was used, would have been capable of some form of electroplating. But it would have been very slow.
There is also the problem of why would anyone back in those days even have thought of the process. There is no history of things like that.
Pekka,
.. No - you would reveal secrets on to very few (quild members?). Secrets very well hiden has tendency to stay very well hidden and someday lost...
Sorry mate, that explanation doesn't fly. If you have craftsmen capable of producing the mechanism, who can produce 354 tooth gears and fit lots of very finely produced bits together to make such a thing, then that knowledge doesn't appear over night nor does it just dissapear as quickly. Once the idea is out there, it stays out there.
Ever thought, 'how did they drill all the small holes in the bronze ? or make the little pins and bushes ?
If you remember, the man who made the replica (Micheal Wright ?) demonstrated the making of a gear. He marked-off the blank, Then said something like 'then the worker would have taken a file ....' Whoa there !! A file ? Where would a year zero Hellenic MadModder get a file from ? .
No, the whole thing is too advanced.
Dave.