Ancient Lighting Methods
Throughout history, humans have found creative ways to produce light in dark spaces and at nighttime. Before the advent of widespread electricity, ancient civilizations relied on more rudimentary methods of illumination.
Fire and Torches
The most basic source of artificial light used by ancient peoples was fire. Torches and candles provided portable sources of flame that could be carried from place to place. However, these had limitations in terms of brightness, smoke, and fire hazard. Fires were also lit in hearths and braziers to illuminate interior spaces.
Oil Lamps
With the discovery of oil distillation, devices like oil lamps and lanterns became popular for indoor and outdoor lighting. Animal fat and vegetable oils were burned in containers with wicks to produce a steadier, brighter light than torches. Oil lamps were commonly used in ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Middle East. Their designs evolved over time to become more efficient.
Gas Lights
By the 18th and 19th centuries, coal gas extracted from coal was piped around cities to provide public street lighting. Gas lights became widespread in Europe and North America during the 1800s. They produced brighter steady light than oil or candles, but had the downsides of emitting fumes, occasional explosions, and fire risk.
Early Electrical Lighting Experiments
The discovery of electricity enabled new forms of lighting to emerge. Innovative ancient electricians conducted early experiments with primitive batteries and circuits to produce electric light.
Ancient Batteries
Archaeological evidence shows that ancient peoples in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece used clay jars filled with acidic liquids and iron/copper rods to create basic galvanic cells. Known as the "Baghdad battery", these devices could produce small amounts of electric current for electroplating and medicinal uses. However, no direct evidence shows they lit up devices.
Incandescent Light Bulbs
Thomas Edison is credited with inventing the incandescent light bulb in 1879. However, British chemist Warren de la Rue enclosed a platinum filament in a vacuum tube in 1840, making a primitive light bulb. Fire was a hazard with early bulbs. With later refinements like tungsten filaments, bulbs became commercially practical.
Arc Lamps
Electric arc lamps were developed starting in the early 1800s, using two charged carbon rods separated by air. When voltage surged between the rods, it created a bright electric arc. Arc lamps were installed for large-scale lighting before Edison's bulb. However, they emitted a hissing sound, bright light, and heat.
Early Electrical Wiring Systems
For electric lighting to work, systems for delivering electricity had to be developed. This required conductors like wires and conductive materials to insulate and protect them.
Early Insulated Wires
Some of the earliest insulated electrical wires were developed in the 1800s, protecting interior metal conductors with materials like rubber, cloth, paper, and bitumen. Wires enabled electricity to be carried longer distances safely. The first house wired for electric lighting used vulcanized rubber insulation.
Conductive Piping
Before extensive wiring networks, some early electric lighting systems used existing metal piping as conductors. Gas pipes that already provided gas lighting were retrofitted with crude insulation to supply arc lighting electrically. Since piping was limited, this constrained layouts.
Protective Conduits
Electrical conduit, pipes housing insulated wires, emerged in the late 1800s. Initially the conduits were made from wood soaked in creosote or tar. Later iron pipes and PVC plastic provided durable housings to protect wiring from weather, accidents, and chemical damage. This enabled safer, more complex wiring layouts.
Hidden Wiring
Early wiring was crudely tacked on surfaces or mounted visibly on walls and ceilors. With metal conduits and insulated cables, wires could be run hidden inside finished walls, floors, and ceilings. This allowed buildings to have electrical lighting while preserving their decor. The hazards of exposed wiring also dropped dramatically.
In Closing
The ingenious ancient electricians who pioneered early battery and lighting technology lit the way for modern electricity to emerge. Their innovative thinking on insulation, wiring, and light sources like bulbs and arcs allowed electric lighting to develop from crude beginnings into the safe, convenient, and wide-reaching systems that light up our world today. The next time you flip on a light switch, consider the pioneering work done in lighting up the past.