Want to learn more about ancient Egyptian electricity? Read on for facts and info about the notion that some people have regarding the development of electricity by the ancient Egyptians…
It is commonly believed that electricity as we know it today was discovered and developed by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison. However certain archeological findings from ancient Egypt suggest that electricity might have been invented a lot sooner than most people believe.
Before we proceed into uncovering the findings that suggest ancient Egyptians had developed some sort of electricity it is important to know that these facts are not verified and this notion is actually based on conjecture.
The theory that the ancient Egyptians possessed electricity came about after the discovery of a temple in the region of Dendera. It was at this location that archeologists were able to find a number of carvings that depict lamps and light bulb like structures.
A number of electrical engineers observed these carvings and suggested that it seemed quite likely that these ancient items worked much in the same manner as the modern day lamp. One engineer actually constructed a life-like model based on the design that was depicted on the carvings. To the amazement of the masses the model actually worked which further fortified the notion that the Egyptians had some sort of electricity which they utilized to create sources of light to help them in the dark.
The lamp was composed of a bulb that had a center which appeared to be shaped like a snake. A cord was attached to the bulb which was used to switch the lamp on and off. This ancient carving clearly resembles the kind of technology that we have access to in modern times.
If you observe the many great Egyptian structures, tombs and temples it goes without saying that the Egyptians would have required some source of lighting to work in the dark inside these structures. The construction probably took a very long time which can be seen in the many paintings and carvings from the era.
In some temples and tombs there is absolutely no sign of soot on the floors, ceilings, or walls of the structures. In other structures where it was known that torches were used there are clear signs of the thick soot having been put off by torches and lamps.
However it is not sufficient to assume that the Egyptians had electricity based on this single observation of lack of soot alone. One of the techniques that the Egyptians used to lighten the interior hallways of their temples was to make use of mirrors to reflect the light of the sun to the depths of the structures. This became a source of crude light for the ancients.
However, Egyptologists that are of the notion that Egyptians did in fact possess some sort of electrical power supply claim that the long distances that the light would have to travel coupled with the inferior quality mirrors would have made it impossible for this technique to produce the kind of lighting required. Whether or not the ancient Egyptians possessed an alternative source of electricity is still a matter in debate.
