The first batteries are 2,000 years old
2000年前诞生的电池

In 1938, while in Baghdad, German archeologist Wilhelm König discovered a five-inch-long (13 cm) clay jar containing a copper cylinder that surrounded an iron rod. The jar showed signs of corrosion and seemed to have once contained a mild acid, such as vinegar or wine. König believed these vessels to be galvanic cells, or parts of batteries, possibly used for electroplating gold onto sliver objects. The dates of the artifacts are obscure. König dated them to around 250 BC to AD 224, while others have suggested a range of AD 225-640. Of course, even if the vessels did produce electric currents, this does not imply that ancient people understood how the objects worked.
1938年，德国考古学家瓦利哈拉姆·卡维尼格在巴格达地区发现了一个长5英寸（约13厘米）的陶罐，里面装有一根铜管，外层由铁棒环绕。这个陶罐有腐蚀的痕迹，并且疑似曾经盛放过弱酸类液体，如醋或酒。卡维尼格认为，这些容器是原电池，或者是电池的组成部分，可能是用来把黄金电镀到银器上时使用的。这些人造物的年代不详，卡维尼格觉得在公元前250年到公元224年之间，其他专家则判断其年代在公元225年到640年之间。当然，即使这些器皿确实可以发电，也不意味着古人就能明白其工作的原理。