Thought by many to be either a hoax or even proof of the existence of aliens, the famous Baghdad Batteries have been the subject of much speculation since their discovery in the 1930s. The batteries consist of a clay jar containing a copper tube wrapped around an iron rod and, when filled with an acidic liquid, can produce about a watt of power each. Of course, the next question is If they had batteries, what in the name of sweet baby Jesus were they powering? Theories abound on this subject, including many that put forward the idea that they were used to power some ancient alien technology from passing UFOs. Another (slightly more likely) notion is that they may have been used by priests to give their congregation a shocking religious experience, perhaps rigging them up to an idol and claiming that the current was some kind of spiritual energy being passed through it from God. Another theory is that they were used in an electroplating process, which uses a small current to coat objects in a fine layer of metal, often gold or silver to give the impression of a solid gold object, or a protective layer to prevent corrosion. Alternatively (and rather more boringly), archaeologists think that they could have just been for storing papyrus scrolls that have since rotted away, but we prefer to think of high-tech, electroplating ancient Iraqis. Speaking of which...
