TPO 25

The reading and the lecture discuss the possible function of a set of clay jars that had been excavated in Iraq. Although the passage provides three theories for rejects that the clay did not use as a battery in ancient time, the speaker refutes this idea through several reasons, which I will describe in this report.

First, the passage points out that if the vessels used as batteries, they must have had other conductors such as metal wires with them. The lecturer, in contrast, rejects this by claiming that the vessels had been discovered by local people who did not recognize the importance of all parts of the clay jars, and these people were not trained, archaeologists. They would overlook by other conductors or thrown away them.

Furthermore, the passage states that ancient people used copper cylinders as the same as these clay jars for holding scrolls of sacred texts, not for generating electricity. However, the professor argues that the similar shape between clay jars and copper cylinders cannot improve anything. At first, the vessels used for holding scrolls of sacred texts, but after some time, they understood that they could produce electricity if they used water and wires besides their clays.

Finally, although the reading passage says that electricity did not practical for ancient people, because they did not know how to use it. The professor disagrees by mentioning that these batteries could cause a middle shock, and they could be a good device to show magical power. He also said that ancient doctors may have been using these batteries to heat the muscles of the patients like modern medicines.