Bronzing (Ancient electricity)

The most likely use for electricity among the Parthians would have been the electroplating (sometimes referred to as bronzing) of figurines, an advance on the art of gilding which dated back centuries before them. The battery could have been used to apply a voltage between a metal statuette and an ingot of gold while both were immersed in an electrolyte. Gold would have been transferred through the liquid to be deposited as a thin film on the figure’s surface.

Similar clay pots have been found at other sites near Baghdad. They are a salutary reminder that our conceptions of mankind’s historical development are often based as much on ignorance as on knowledge of skills of a particular period.

Static electricity was known to the ancients: they knew, for instance, that when amber (in Greek elektron) was rubbed, it would attract light objects such as dust and hairs. So the technique of generating electrical current -which is electric charge in motion-, could have been an equally haphazard, isolated discovery centuries before it’s generally recognised initial use. Neither finding seemed to lead to further technological development or insight into the causes of the phenomenon, however, although some enthusiasts have claimed that the Parthians- and, before them, the ancient Egyptians – used electric light.

There are, indeed, enough soberly accredited anomalies of technology from the past to keep us well aware that some of our ancestors did develop their technology- and to astonishingly high levels.

At Chrometech we specialize electroplating (bronzing) and chrome-plating on non-conductors; any base material but not metal. In order for us to electroplate or chrome-plate the organic materials (plastic car parts), we need to make it conductive with a conductive paint. Then a small hole needs to be drilled to attach the wires to conduct the electricity.

We really chrome-plate or bronze about anything. Our logo is: If you can imagine it, we can chrome it.

In about 3 weeks I will have a new webpage with a photo gallery so that I can show you what we actually can and do bronze or chrome-plate

We get a lot of phone calls from women asking us about the price for full body bronzing. Sorry ladies that’s not what we bronze.