Summary
The Goa'uld were scavengers who sought advanced technology to incorporate into their collection as they attempted to maintain galactic dominance. They used the Stargate network left behind by the Ancients to capture and transport human slaves throughout the galaxy. If any of their human civilizations started to show advancement, they would be eliminated.
Although they were always on the hunt for the most advanced technology they could find, the Goa'uld were also capable of creating new technology, whether it be from scratch or derived from existing technology. Among the most incredible adaptations of Ancient technology created by the Goa'uld was the sarcophagus, the device that permitted the Goa'uld to prolong their lives through healing, even from physical death.
It was the System Lords' search for advanced technology that gained the interest of the Replicators, artificially intelligent nanotechnology that itself sought advanced technology for its own advancement and survival. The Replicators' attack on the System Lords left them nearly wiped out. The last remaining System Lord, Ba'al, joined forces with the Rebel Jaffa, Tau'ri, and Tok'ra, and together, they destroyed the Replicators through the use of Ancient technology. Ba'al began to rebuild his domain after the fall of the System Lords, using all of the advanced technology his kind had acquired over the thousands of years that the Goa'uld reigned supreme in the galaxy.
Stargate References
Ancient Technology
The Goa'uld passed on the belief to their slaves that they themselves had created the Stargate network, when in actuality, it was the advanced human race known as the Ancients. The Ancients were descendants of the Altera who lived in another, extremely distant, galaxy. Once they settled in the Milky Way, they created Avalon and the Stargates (Astria Porta). The Ancients were so advanced physically and mentally that they learned how to shed their bodies to live as a form of intelligent energy. This process was known as ascension. The Ancients left behind their technology for those who came after them. The Goa'uld chose to use the technology to their own personal advantage in their quest for galactic domination. (6.02 "Redemption Part 2", 6.22 "Full Circle", 9.02 "Avalon Part 2")
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Stargate — The Goa'uld were responsible for spreading humans throughout the galaxy after discovering them on Earth 10,000 years ago. The Stargate network was used as the primary method of spreading these humans and gaining galactic domination. It is believed that Ra was responsible for placing the Giza Stargate on Earth when the Antarctic Stargate, originally placed on Earth by the Ancients millions of years ago, was not accessible. (Stargate: The Movie, 1.18 "Solitudes")
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Ring Transporter — The Goa'uld installed Ring Transporters in their spaceships and in their pyramid temples. Their models were completely compatible with Ancient versions, making it a possibility that they never really built their own, but rather relocated the devices they found. It was through the use of the Ring Transporter that Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill were able to destroy Ra and place in motion the events that would lead to the defeat of the Goa'uld System Lords. (Stargate: The Movie, 7.22 "Lost City Part 2")
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Dial Home Device (DHD) — Along with the Stargate, the Goa'uld adapted the DHD for use in the Stargate network. System Lord Ba'al became one of the most knowledgeable of the Goa'uld concerning the operation of the Stargate and DHD. (1.01 "Children Of The Gods Part 1", 7.09 "Avenger 2.0")
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UV Shield Generators — Originally thought to be of Goa'uld design, these UV Shield Generators had main control boards that followed the same basic circuitry patterns as the Stargate technology, making them Ancient in origin. The Goa'uld often claimed that Ancient technology, such as the Stargates, was their own, so the populations left behind by the Goa'uld continued this folklore. Even Teal'c believed that the Goa'uld had terraformed planets for human habitation. It wasn't until later that it was determined that the Ancients were the originators of the Stargates and other such advanced technology that the Goa'uld had falsely claimed as their own. The UV Shield Generators worked in tandem to create an orange force field dome that blocked the harmful UV radiation on the planet P3X-513. (1.06 "The First Commandment", 2.16 "The Fifth Race", 6.02 "Redemption Part 2")
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Stargate Destroyer — The Stargate Destroyer used a Stargate to destroy another Stargate by establishing a wormhole to the victim Stargate and sending an energy beam that caused a build-up in the Stargate's storage capacitors. The energy beam built this power slowly, almost without detection, until the target Stargate overloaded. The naquadah with which the Stargate is built enhanced the explosion, guaranteed to not only destroy the Stargate, but ultimately the planet (due to changes in the atmosphere and weather). Anubis found one of these weapons and tried to destroy Earth with its use, but Teal'c's son, Rya'c, destroyed it. (6.01 "Redemption Part 1", 6.02 "Redemption Part 2")
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DNA Manipulation Device — The DNA Manipulation Device was discovered on the planet designated P3X-367 and was in the hands of the Goa'uld Nirrti who was continuing her pursuit of creating the perfect human host. Nirrti used this device on the inhabitants of the planet and caused tremendous mutations in their physical and mental forms. The inhabitants discovered Nirrti's deception, killed her, and destroyed the device after they used it to restore all those who were affected by DNA changes. Another DNA Manipulation Device was discovered in an underground lab on the planet P3X-584 and was used by Anubis to advance a human-Goa'uld hybrid toward ascension. (6.16 "Metamorphosis", 8.18 "Threads", 9.09 "Prototype")
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Telchak Device — The Telchak Device is named after the Goa'uld Telchak who used its design to create the first sarcophagus. The technology worked as a healing device for the Ancients, but it proved dangerous to humans if they were exposed to it for too long a time at too close a distance. Anubis conquered Telchak, but never found the device. He understood the technology, however, and used it to give life to his Kull Warriors. If a human were exposed to the powers of the device after death, the energy absorbed by the dead tissue reanimates it — creating a zombie. The Telchak Device was hidden in a subterranean structure built by the Mayans in modern-day Honduras and spawned the Fountain of Youth myth. It was discovered by Dr. Daniel Jackson and Dr. Bill Lee and studied by the Tok'ra to help the SGC develop a weapon that would counteract the Kull Warriors' life energy. (7.11 "Evolution Part 1", 7.12 "Evolution Part 2", 7.16 "Death Knell")
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Weapon on Dakara — The weapon on Dakara was built by the Ancients to break down an object into its basic components. Recently, the weapon was used in conjunction with the Stargates of the Milky Way Galaxy to send an energy wave to destroy the Replicators. It could have just as easily been configured to destroy all life in the galaxy, as was the intent of Anubis. It is said that this same device was used to reseed the Milky Way Galaxy with life after the plague that killed several Ancient worlds swept through the galaxy millions of years ago. The weapon was destroyed when the Ori's human-form representative Adria fired on it from space with the energy weapon of her warship. (8.16 "Reckoning Part 1", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2", 8.18 "Threads", 10.07 "Counterstrike")
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Ancient Stasis Chamber — The Ancients had a stasis chamber in the Antarctic Outpost which was used by Jack after he took the second download from the Repository of Knowledge. Jack remained in the stasis chamber until SG-1 could get help from the Asgard. A similar chamber was found in Anubis's underground lab on the planet P3X-584 where he kept his human-Goa'uld hybrid Khalek, an experiment in artificially advancing a human toward ascension. Another chamber was found still operational after 10,000 years in the city-ship Atlantis. The stasis chamber does not "freeze" the subject completely, but merely slows down the metabolism (metabolic stasis). (7.22 "Lost City Part 2", 8.02 "New Order Part 2", 9.09 "Prototype"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.15 "Before I Sleep")
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Asgard Technology
Anubis was a former Goa'uld System Lord who had been banished by his own for doing something even the Goa'uld found despicable. For a long while, he was thought to be dead, but suddenly, he reappeared, striking fear in the Goa'uld themselves. He even managed to get voted back into the High Council, but not before he eliminated the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri, the two greatest enemies that the Goa'uld knew at that time. (5.15 "Summit Part 1", 5.16 "Last Stand Part 2")
Anubis wore a large hooded cloak to conceal his altered form—he had become an Ascended Being, like the Ancients, by tricking another Ascended Being named Oma Desala into helping him. When the rest of the ascended collective, known as The Others, saw what Oma had done, they stepped in to punish her and to limit Anubis's activities. They reduced his power and knowledge and told him to only use that which he obtained as if he were an ordinary Goa'uld. Fearing their punishment, Anubis adhered to these conditions, but maintained his energy form, and thus, eternal life. (8.18 "Threads")
Because Anubis had to act like a normal Goa'uld and not use his state as an ascended being to his advantage, he continued the Goa'uld tradition of seeking out advanced technology through force. He captured Thor of the Asgard and probed his mind for all of the knowledge that the Asgard possessed. Even to the Goa'uld, the Asgard were the most technologically advanced race in the galaxy. The Asgard threatened to retaliate if the Goa'uld went after certain planets that the Asgard sheltered under the Protected Planets Treaty. Since the System Lords operated under a feudal-like system and understood territorial claims, they feared the Asgard enough to respect the terms of the Treaty. But, Anubis no longer belonged to the System Lords, and so he operated outside the agreement by attacking and capturing Thor. (3.03 "Fair Game", 5.22 "Revelations")
Anubis obtained from his probe of Thor's great mind the technical specifications of several very advanced pieces of Asgard technology:
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Asgard Holographic Technology — Asgard holographic technology does more than just merely project an image: it also permits the person who is projecting himself to see the surroundings of the projection. This awareness permitted the user to interact with the holograph's surroundings as if being there in person. Anubis could project his image and interact through the wormhole connection of the Stargate when he threatened Earth with the use of an Ancient Stargate Destroyer. After Anubis's defeat, Ba'al took his domain and technology, and then began using the holographic technology to further his own goals. (6.01 "Redemption Part 1", 7.22 "Lost City Part 2", 8.01 "New Order Part 1", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2")
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Asgard Beaming Technology — Anubis himself didn't use the Asgard beaming technology, but those System Lords acting as his lieutenants did. Osiris used it to visit Daniel Jackson at night to probe his mind while he slept. The Goa'uld-infiltrated Earth organization known as The Trust also used the technology. After Ba'al gained Anubis's domain, he used it on several occasions. (7.15 "Chimera", 8.14 "Full Alert", 8.17 "Reckoning Part 2")
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Asgard Cloning Technology — The Asgard race was created solely through cloning, and their individual consciousnesses were kept in computer storage units until they could be transferred into a body. Anubis most likely used the cloning technology to create his large army of Kull Warriors, replacements for his disloyal Jaffa warriors, and his human-Goa'uld hybrid Khalek. After Anubis's defeat, Ba'al used the cloning technology to create clones of his human host and of his symbiote. Remarkably, Ba'al's clones cooperated with each other most of the time to assist him in the rebuilding of his empire. (5.22 "Revelations", 7.12 "Evolution Part 2", 9.07 "Ex Deus Machina", 9.09 "Prototype")
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Technology of Healing and Life Saving
One of the main reasons why the Goa'uld are so evil is that the symbiotes had genetic memory, meaning that the thoughts and experiences of a symbiote were preserved in the next generation (Daniel Jackson described it as "the thoughts of a thousand Hitlers" in 4.17 "Absolute Power"). Some of the Goa'uld managed to live long and keep the same host from the very beginning of their reign on Earth. Their positions of power made them the System Lords who would crush, and even eat, their younger competition who might threaten their position because of the additional knowledge. Technology in this section includes that which enabled them to maintain long lives and health, but some of it proved to be more detrimental as time progressed. In some instances, the healing qualities of the technology were used in scenarios of torture after a subject was killed or gravely injured.
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Sarcophagus — The Goa'uld Telchak used the Ancient's healing device, now known as the Telchak Device, to create the first sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is used by the Goa'uld to prolong their lives. It has also been used as a stasis chamber. Human bodies are easily healed by the technology, even from death, but are adversely affected with addiction if continuously exposed to the energy of the device while healthy. The late Lord Yu, the oldest remaining System Lord in modern times, eventually had to use the sarcophagus for longer periods of time to maintain his life, causing him to become more senile. System Lord Ba'al used the sarcophagus as an instrument of torture by bringing his subjects back to life or health for more interrogation. (Stargate: The Movie, 2.05 "Need", 6.06 "Abyss", 7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.11 "Evolution Part 1")
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Healing Device — The healing device fits in the palm of the user's hand and can only be used by one who has naquadah in their blood. All hosts have naquadah in their blood, so even if no longer blended with a symbiote, the ability to use the device remains. Carter, however, had difficulty using the device on major injuries because she was not host to Jolinar of Malkshur for very long, so it is likely that the longer one is a host, the better the ability to use it becomes. As in the case with most technology used by the Goa'uld, their subjects always considered such things as this device as the magic of the gods. The healing device has been seen in two sizes, but the larger of the models appears to be the more popular, and perhaps, the more powerful. (1.10 "Thor's Hammer", 3.03 "Fair Game", 5.21 "Meridian", 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound")
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Cryonics Chambers — Utilized by the Goa'uld Queen Hathor, these chambers actually involved lower temperatures to "freeze" its subjects. A subject was placed in a chamber and that chamber was lowered into a cryonics pit where the actual colder temperatures were kept. Hathor subjected O'Neill, Daniel, and Carter to these chambers in order to make them believe that 79 years had passed, although it had only been a few weeks. The chambers, however, could not be used by anyone having a symbiote (such as a Jaffa or a host), so it is possible the Goa'uld would have used this technology to preserve potential hosts. Hathor was killed by being thrown directly into the pit. (2.22 "Out of Mind Part 1", 3.01 "Into the Fire Part 2")
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Technology of Interrogation and Torture
As mentioned above, some of the technology designed specifically for healing and life saving have been used by the Goa'uld in their interrogation and torture scenarios; however, the Goa'uld also had technology specifically made to cause great pain, to extract information, or to demonstrate some kind of power over another individual.
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Ribbon Device — Except for the model worn by Ra, the ribbon device was always worn on the user's left hand. It required concentration and naquadah in the blood to operate, and was used by the Goa'uld to cause brain damage to the point of death, to inflict pain for interrogation, to subdue or cause unconsciousness without any apparent brain damage, to emit a repelling force, and to interface with other Goa'uld technology. Because it connected the minds of the user and the victim, it could also be used as a communications conduit, but that capability was rarely used by the Goa'uld. (Stargate: The Movie, 1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1", 1.02 "Children of the Gods Part 2", 3,10 "Forever In A Day", 4.14 "The Curse", 4.17 "Absolute Power")
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Hara'kash — This small device is worn like a ring, emits an extremely intense beam of radiation, and is used primarily to torture a symbiote while still in the body of its host. The device was used by a Goa'uld assassin (an Ashrak) against Jolinar of Malkshur while the symbiote was being hosted by Samantha Carter. The death of the symbiote was the goal of the Ashrak, but he was interrupted before he could complete the execution. Jolinar died from the effects, but had enough strength to save Carter's life by not releasing the usual toxin that symbiotes normally do upon death. Sokar used the device against Apophis, causing several tell-tale lesions on the symbiote's body without any apparent damage to the host. (2.02 "In the Line of Duty", 2.17 "Serpent's Song")
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Memory Recall Device — This device is usually placed on the target's temple (although it can be placed behind the ear) and aids in the recovery of memories. Its levels can be adjusted so that even memories stored deep in the target's subconscious mind can be brought forth with varying degrees of intensity (some targets may experience the pain associated with a memory, for example). The device can be interfaced with a monitor to permit others to see and hear the actual memory as if it were a video recording. The device has also been used in tandem with one on another wearer, making it possible for a Goa'uld to exert himself into his target's mind as if in a dream, such as what Osiris did with Daniel in an attempt to draw out his memories from his time as an ascended being that had been buried deep into his subconscious mind by Oma Desala. Once Daniel was aware of Osiris's invasion, it appeared that he could control the events of the dream and mentally communicate through the link as well. (2.22 "Out of Mind Part 1", 3.12 "Jolinar's Memories Part 1", 7.15 "Chimera")
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Goa'uld Pain Stick — This device is similar to an electrified cattle prod and emits enough energy to cause the victim great pain, possibly unto death if used excessively. Unlike the Ribbon Device, it can be used by anyone, since its activation doesn't require naquadah in the blood of the user. Whenever a victim is touched by the device, bright yellow-orange light emits from his mouth and eyes. The device has been seen to work successfully on humans (including Jaffa and Goa'uld hosts) and Unas. (3.06 "Point of View", 3.13 "The Devil You Know Part 2", 4.13 "Serpent's Venom", 5.07 "Beast of Burden")
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Canon's Ring Device — The Canon of the pre-Chaucer Christian village visited by Sokar's Unas lieutenant had this ring device that caused energy to be collected from the atmosphere to produce a lightning strike accompanied by a repelling wave. He used this device to create terror and fear among his people so that they would follow him as the spiritual leader who decided who was filled with evil enough to be sacrificed to Sokar's "demon". These five people were gathered periodically and were taken through the Stargate to become Goa'uld hosts. The device also has been used for other purposes, so it is possible that it can be programmed to perform different functions. Vala Mal Doran carried one as a small healing device. (3.08 "Demons", 8.12 "Prometheus Unbound")
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Blood of Sokar — The Blood of Sokar is a strong hallucinogenic that was used by Apophis when he was Sokar's underling to obtain information from each of his subjects: from Martouf, he wanted the location of the Tok'ra's secret base of operations; from Carter, the iris code to the Stargate on Earth; from O'Neill, the coordinates to the Asgard homeworld; and from Daniel, the whereabouts of his son born to him by Daniel's captured wife Sha're. Each individual was able to overcome the strong effects of the drug so that Apophis obtained no valid or useful information. (3.13 "The Devil You Know Part 2")
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Technology of Subjugation and Banishment
The Goa'uld System Lords had territories in their domains that were populated by Unas, human, and Jaffa slaves, as well as other unidentified humanoid species such as that of bounty hunter Aris Boch. Some of these peoples were subjugated through the use of addiction or dependence on only something the Goa'uld could provide, such as the symbiotes themselves for the Jaffa and the drug Roshna for Aris Boch's people. The Goa'uld also used brainwashing technology on those who were outside of their domains, so that they could be used as spies, such as what Ba'al did to NID Agent Malcolm Barrett, or as sleeper assassins, such as what was done to several SGC personnel and Tok'ra with the Zatarc technology. (3.07 "Deadman Switch", 4.05 "Divide and Conquer", 10.04 "Insiders")
Still, some of the technology of subjugation was purely for making the victim's mind more pliable and easily prone to suggestion. This was how Hathor overcame the men on the base at Stargate Command and how Seth managed his followers in his cult. (1.14 "Hathor", 3.02 "Seth")
Not all of the Goa'uld's technology of subjugation was reserved for their slaves; there was some left specifically to banish their own kind for breaking an agreement or attempting an overthrow, as in the case of Isis, Osiris, and Egeria who were banished inside canopic jars containing a sedative and the means to keep them alive for a very long time. The history of the Goa'uld is not without difficulties for the Goa'uld themselves when their slaves turned the tables and banished them, as was the case when his priests locked Marduk inside of his sarcophagus with a flesh-eating creature that would torment him forever as the sarcophagus continued to heal him. (4.14 "The Curse", 5.08 "The Tomb")
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Jaffa Making Technology — The Jaffa were engineered to increase a symbiote's chances of survival until it matured enough to blend with a host. The abdominal pouches are created during the implantation ceremony with a device that can be used by the Goa'uld and their high priests and priestesses. The pouch is filled with a special fluid and the opening is X-shaped. The subject's immune system is destroyed in the process, but as a trade-off, the symbiote substitutes for the immune system and provides long life, strength, and the ability to heal quickly from injuries and illnesses. Jaffa are engineered in such a way as to require the implantation, usually at puberty, or die because their own immune systems eventually fail. (1.02 "Children of the Gods Part 2", 1.12 "Bloodlines", 1.14 "Hathor", 6.10 "Cure", 7.10 "Birthright")
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Hathor's Mist — This pink mist is created by queen Goa'uld symbiotes to act on males with a chemical composition similar to female pheromones and sodium pentathol (truth serum). The men's libidos were also heightened. Hathor used this mist to take over the SGC base, and she personally selected Daniel Jackson as her "pharaoh" and forced him to provide her with his sperm so that she would splice portions of his DNA into her offspring to prevent them from being rejected by the bodies of their future hosts. Because the women were not affected by Hathor's mist, they were able to reclaim control of the base. Once men have recovered from exposure to the mist, they cannot be subjugated with it again. (1.14 "Hathor", 3.01 "Into the Fire Part 2")
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Nishta — Stronger than Hathor's mist, this green gaseous drug works on male and female subjects alike. It was used by Seth to control the minds of his worshippers in his cult in Washington State. This drug infects all tissues in a person's body, and it must run its full course in the subject's body before it can be eradicated through the use of an electrical shock, such as that of a zat. Apophis used this drug on Teal'c's son Rya'c to entrap Teal'c for his treason and to detonate a bomb hidden inside false teeth. Teal'c used a zat on him to remove the brainwashing. O'Neill, Carter, and Daniel were exposed to the drug in Seth's compound and were shaken from its effects through small electrified earplugs. The rest of Seth's followers were zatted and then freed, and like with Hathor's mist, they cannot be affected by it again. (2.08 "Family", 3.02 "Seth")
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Roshna — When the Goa'uld discovered that bounty hunter Aris Boch's race couldn't be used as hosts, they slaughtered most of them, but some were kept alive as slaves. These survivors were addicted to roshna, a blue, liquid drug that was given to them in their water. Now, after many generations, these people cannot live without the roshna. Their dependence on the drug made them subservient to the Goa'uld who were the only ones who could supply it. Aris Boch gave a sample of the drug to Carter, hoping that with the Tau'ri's help, that dependence would be broken. (3.07 "Deadman Switch")
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Brainwashing Technology — The Goa'uld created sleeper assassins through their Zatarc technology, but SG-1 was never told what that technology looked like. It is possible that the Zatarc technology was used against members of the Free Jaffa High Council by Ba'al, but that specific technology could have been something totally different. Ba'al's brainwashing technology consisted of two devices: one is attached to the subject's temple, much like a Memory Recall Device, and the other device is used to control the levels of pain or intensity of the mental manipulation. When Ba'al used the technology on the members of the Free Jaffa High Council, they weren't programmed to commit suicide if their mission failed like the Zatarcs encountered about four years prior, although once one of the Jaffa discovered he had been brainwashed, he performed the Rite of Malsharran that resulted in his death. Ba'al attempted to use the technology on Teal'c, but Teal'c resisted it with all of his strength and might, perhaps because he had been exposed to the same technology when Apophis brainwashed him to become loyal to him once more (it took going through the Rite of Malsharran to break that hold). It is possible that this technology was also used to brainwash NID Agent Barrett by Ba'al's operatives within the Earth organization known as The Trust. (4.05 "Divide and Conquer", 5.01 "Enemies Part 2", 5.02 "Threshold", 9.14 "Stronghold", 10.04 "Insiders")
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Canopic Jar — These specially-designed canopic jars were used to banish a Goa'uld symbiote. The jar contained a sedative and had a special lining that generated the small electrical charge needed to sustain a symbiote indefinitely. Three different Goa'uld symbiotes were banished in such fashion: Isis, Osiris, and Egeria (the founder of the Tok'ra movement). Osiris and Egeria were still alive when they were released from their jars, but Isis died when the seal to her jar was broken while being transported from Egypt to the United States. (4.14 "The Curse", 6.10 "Cure")
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Technology for Communications and for Data Storage and Retrieval
SG-1 found that the Goa'uld used all manner of technology to record, transmit, store, and retrieve information. Some of the technology was used by groups within the Goa'uld who opposed the System Lords, such as the Linvris and the Tok'ra, and in some instances, the technology was actually used against the System Lords or against the Goa'uld in general.
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Goa'uld Tablet — This device must be accompanied by a Page Turning Device to work, otherwise the reader is stuck on the page being displayed. The pages are printed in raised characters and aren't actually turned like the pages of a book, but the letters change when the Page Turning Device is waved over the Tablet. The Goa'uld Tablet has been used just like an ordinary notebook to record anything from research to battle plans. The scientist Ma'chello knew of the use of the Tablet among the Goa'uld and engineered his anti-Goa'uld technology to mimic the Page Turning Device so that when used, it would release his biological weapons. A group of nine Goa'uld known as the Linvris were wiped out by this biotechnology, even though they themselves were organizing to oppose the System Lords. Pelops and Nirrti used the Tablet to record their notes concerning their genetic research on humans. (1.09 "Brief Candle", 3.04 "Legacy", 5.06 "Rite of Passage")
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Long-Range Visual Communications Device — O'Neill called this technology "Goa'uld TV", and like television sets of today, it comes in various sizes: from small hand-held size to a large "big-screen" size adequate for a large audience. The spherical device has a polished silver-grey surface, and the image displayed on its screen is three-dimensional, meaning that depending on where the viewer is, he may see the back of the head of the broadcaster while others might see his face. Going beyond the television analogy, these devices provided two-way communications like videophones. Earth's rogue NID group managed to get two medium-sized devices working, but the broadcasting frequencies weren't always secure. The Tok'ra refused to use them because of this drawback. (1.22 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part 1", 2.11 "The Tok'ra Part 1", 2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2", 3.18 "Shades of Grey")
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Storage Crystals — The Goa'uld's starships use crystals to store the programs needed to operate the vessels. The Tok'ra have programmed crystals to create underground tunnel complexes, and Thanos used a storage crystal to record his research on naquadria. The Ancients used crystal technology to build their Stargates and other devices, so it is possible that the Goa'uld used that as a building block in their own technology, just like how the SGC has used the Goa'uld's crystal technology to construct their space-worthy hybrid starships (see articles on Prometheus and Daedalus-Class Ships for more information behind this hybrid crystal technology). (2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 2", 6.11 "Prometheus", 7.02 "Homecoming Part 2")
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Vo'cum — The vo'cum is a record and playback device. Its eye lights up when it is recording, and it displays the recording in a large, overhead, holographic image. Apophis used the vo'cum to substitute for his presence in the instructing of his trainees, and Carter reconfigured the same vo'cum to broadcast a recording made at the SGC of Apophis's death to inform these trainees that they were following a dead false god. The Goa'uld Terok used a vo'cum to record his torture of Teal'c, hoping to break him into confessing the error of his ways in denying the Goa'uld as gods, but Teal'c never wavered, even under extreme duress, and Terok destroyed the device in his frustration. (3.09 "Rules of Engagement", 4.13 "Serpent's Venom")
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Goa'uld Holographic Technology — First seen used by the Tok'ra and claimed to have been invented by the Goa'uld Nerus, this holographic technology is smaller than the vo'cum, but is able to have its image updated in real time as well as play it back from a recording. As with some of the images recorded with the vo'cum, the projection seems to be limited to shades of yellow-gold. (3.02 "Seth", 9.06 "Beachhead")
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Goa'uld Reconnaissance Drone — SG-13 encountered the first drone seen by SGC personnel on P3X-666. The drone was capable of flight and had a defense shield, as well as defense energy weapons. Even though SG-13 severely damaged the drone, Carter was able to link to its computer systems to determine its origin. Daniel translated the Goa'uld information brought forth and determined that the drone had sent a subspace message about SG-13's presence on the planet. Teal'c believed that the Goa'uld actually copied the SGC's use of MALPs with the creation of this drone, but this particular type of drone was only seen being used by Anubis. (7.17 "Heroes Part 1", 7.21 "Lost City Part 1")
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Goa'uld Weapons
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Staff Weapon — Given to a Jaffa warrior as his primary weapon, the Staff Weapon is powered by liquid naquadah and produces a blast that burns the target. If the target is close enough and the blast is directed accurately, the burn can cause immediate death. The Staff Weapon has also been used to bludgeon the victims and as a weapon of terror. The Weapon in its current form has had the same design for at least 5,000 years. (Stargate: The Movie; 1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1", 2.16 "The Fifth Race", 5.18 "The Warrior", 8.19 "Moebius Part 1")
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Zat — Zat guns produce an electrical shock that usually causes its victim to lose consciousness, but the extent of its effectiveness varies from target to target. The blue energy surrounds the victim for quite some time, and can be used to fuse or to break inanimate objects. If the victim is immediately hit with a second blast, he usually dies. If the target is hit with a third blast, it disintegrates into nothingness (vaporized). When the Goa'uld Klorel was hit by a zat blast, his host Skaara was able to communicate for a short while before the symbiote regained control. (1.22 "Within the Serpent's Grasp Part 1")
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Transphase Eradication Rod (TER) — Although the Reetou were a peaceful race, the Goa'uld considered them a possible threat and tried to wipe them out. The Goa'uld symbiotes were sensitive to the emissions of the Reetou who were 180 degrees out of phase and invisible, so they developed the Transphase Eradication Rod (TER) to enable them to see and kill these out-of-phase creatures. The Tok'ra took some of these TERs and gave them to the SGC when they were targeted by Reetou extremists who wished to rid Earth of all possible Goa'uld hosts. The TERs could also expose Nirrti when she used a cloak that she developed from the study of the Reetou. The weapon was later modified to neutralize Anubis's Kull Warriors after determining that their live-giving energy had the same signature as that of the Ancient's Telchak Device. (2.20 "Show and Tell", 5.06 "Rite of Passage", 7.16 "Death Knell")
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Laser Ring Weapon — First seen used by human and Tok'ra Zatarcs (brainwashed assassins created with the Zatarc technology), this small weapon has also been used by the Goa'uld (Osiris) and by bounty hunters as well. It is worn like a ring and emits a deadly red laser beam. (4.05 "Divide and Conquer", 7.15 "Chimera", 10.15 "Bounty")
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Eye of Ra and Eye of Tiamat — SG-1 and a Russian team found the Eye of Tiamat on P2X-338, but it was buried in the rubble when the zaggurat they were in crumbled in an explosion. The Russians suspected that the Eye held great power, and later, Daniel (as an Ascended Being) told Jack the story behind the Eyes that supported that theory: "According to legend, there were six Eyes, including those held by Apophis, Osiris, and Tiamat, among others. Each is powerful on its own, but to use them in combination increases that power ten fold." Anubis eventually acquired the Eye of Ra after determining it was on Abydos, one of Ra's former planets, and with it, he completed the set. He used all six Eyes to power a superweapon on his mothership that could destroy ha'tak vessels easily. Anubis also destroyed Abydos and killed everyone in the blast with this superweapon (but Oma Desala helped them all to ascend). Eventually, a joint effort between SG-1 and the System Lords destroyed both the superweapon and the mothership, forcing Anubis to retreat. Presumably, all six Eyes were lost in the ship's destruction. (5.08 "The Tomb", 6.22 "Full Circle", 7.02 "Homecoming Part 2")
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Kull Warriors — Created by Anubis to replace his disloyal Jaffa during the Jaffa Rebellion, these Warriors were a product of genetic engineering and were programmed to be completely loyal. Their bodies were grown in a lab (possibly using the Asgard's cloning technology) and were animated with an adaptation of the Ancient technology called the Telchak Device (which was also used to create the first sarcophagus). A programmed Goa'uld symbiote was also implanted in the Warrior's body, giving it increased stamina. After SG-1 and the Tok'ra found the Telchak Device, they created a weapon that could counteract the Warriors' life-giving energy, and eventually, all of the Warriors either died in battle against the Jaffa on Dakara or died naturally as they were not created to have long life spans. (7.11 "Evolution Part 1", 7.12 "Evolution Part 2", 7.16 "Death Knell", 8.18 "Threads")
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Spaceships and Space Stations
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Ha'tak — Ha'tak-Class Motherships and their variants were the primary capital starships of the Goa'uld. They were almost always in the possession of the Goa'uld System Lords, and were a direct representation of a Goa'uld's military power. Since the collapse of the System Lords at Dakara, ha'taks have been seen in the possession of the Free Jaffa Nation, Lucian Alliance, and the Tok'ra. (Stargate: The Movie, 1.22 "Within The Serpent's Grasp Part 1")
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Death Glider — The Death Glider was the primary fighter spacecraft used by the Goa'uld. They are capable of both atmospheric and space flight and combat. They are primarily armed with two staff cannons and piloted by two Jaffa. (Stargate: The Movie, 2.01 "The Serpent's Lair Part 2")
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Tel'tak — Also known as a scout ship or a cargo ship, the tel'tak was one of the most popular ships used by the Goa'uld, Tok'ra, and Jaffa outside of battle. The main cargo hold of the ship has a ring transporter, another piece of Ancient technology integrated into the Goa'uld's collection. Tel'tak also have at least four escape pods, and later models have invisibility cloaks. (3.07 "Deadman Switch", 3.12 "Jolinar's Memories Part 1")
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Osiris's Ship — Stashed away from long ago during the Goa'uld's reign in Ancient Egypt (possibly as long ago as 10,000 years), this personal spaceship was used by Osiris to escape from Earth after being accidently released from banishment by Sarah Gardner. It is topped with a small pyramid, but its lower portion and footprint are shaped similar to that of a horseshoe crab. Additional navigational technology extends while the ship is in flight, but may be retracted for landing flat on the ground. Osiris had this ship as part of his temple complex in Egypt long ago, and even though it remained dormant for thousands of years, buried deep in the sand, it was still space-worthy. Osiris called it forth from the sands via a remote control panel that could be accessed through his ribbon device and used the ring transporter in the temple to board it. (4.14 "The Curse")
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Al'kesh — Al'kesh are mid-range bombers. They are smaller than ha'taks, but still were quite formidible in battles, either in space or in the air, and were used to eliminate aerial defenses and to cover ground troops as a System Lord commenced his ground invasion. These ships were also later equipped with invisibility cloaks. (4.22 "Exodus Part 1", 7.15 "Chimera")
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Troop Transport — The Troop Transport is a very large armored spaceship used to deposit soldiers in their ground assaults. (5.15 "Summit Part 1", 6.22 "Full Circle")
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Hasara Space Station — This extremely large space station was used by the System Lords to convene their High Council summits in the Hasara System, which was considered neutral territory. It had several docking bays, compatible with tel'tak, and various quarters for guests. It was a fully functioning city with its own scanners and defenses. Weapons were not allowed on the station when the System Lords were convened there. (5.15 "Summit Part 1", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1")
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Other Goa'uld Technology (Possibly Derivative)
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Personal Shield — Apophis was the first Goa'uld seen to use a personal shield during the first year of SG-1's existence, but the technology had been available to the Goa'uld for possibly over 4,000 years (as exhibited by its use by Marduk who had been released from his entrapment of at least that many years). O'Neill observed that the shield didn't protect its user when an object was directed at him/her at a low velocity, such as an arrow or a hand-thrown knife, but protected the user effectively against energy weapons, such as the Staff Weapon. The older races of the Ancients and the Ori also had similar personal shields, but the origins of the Goa'uld technology is unknown. The personal shield was activated by a touch control on the back of the user's Ribbon Device. (1.08 "The Nox", 2.09 "Secrets", 5.08 "The Tomb", 10.07 "Counterstrike"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.03 "Hide and Seek")
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Nanotechnology — Pelops used nanotechnology to advance the aging of humans in his research into human evolution, so instead of living for years, the human infected with the nanites would age 250 times faster, giving him only days to live. With this rapid aging, Pelops could observe the evolutionary process in hundreds of years rather than in thousands. Pelops's aging nanites were used by Apophis to rapidly grow his human-Goa'uld hybrid son, called a Harsesis, so that he could take him as a new host who had more genetic memories than those possessed by each of the System Lords individually. Similar aging nanotechnology was used by the rogue cell of the NID that wished to create an artificial Harsesis, a human with the genetic memories of the Goa'uld without actually being blended with a symbiote. The Ancients had also done extensive research into nanotechnology well over 10,000 years ago to create the Asurans, a collective of human-form Replicators that have a striking resemblance to the Replicators found in the Milky Way Galaxy, which are also strictly based on nanotechnology. It was the Replicators that nearly wiped out the System Lords in their own search for advanced technology. (1.09 "Brief Candle", 3.22 "Nemesis Part 1", 4.17 "Absolute Power", 7.19 "Resurrection", 8.16 "Reckoning Part 1"; Stargate Atlantis: 3.05 "Progeny")
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Nirrti's Cloak — The Tok'ra had intelligence that Nirrti was conducting research into phase shifting in order to battle the Reetou, a race that is 180 degrees out of phase and therefore invisible. A cloaked Nirrti could be seen with the Transphase Eradication Rod (TER) that was also effectively used against the Reetou. Nirrti didn't reveal her research to the other System Lords, something that was considered against their rules, and she used the cloak to undermine the negotiations between the System Lords and the Asgard that would add Earth to the Protected Planets Treaty. The origin of her personal cloak was never revealed, but it is possible that she found Ancient writings similar to those found on P9G-844, where the Sodan Jaffa discovered and used Ancient writings to construct the Sodan Cloaking Device, which also puts the wearer slightly out of phase in order to render him invisible. (3.03 "Fair Game", 9.08 "Babylon")
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 Nirrti's Hok'taur Instruments |
Nirrti's Hok'taur Instruments — Nirrti's primary research involved the creation of the advanced human host, or hok'taur. She designed several different experiments toward changing a modern-day human into an advanced evolutionary form, similar to what the Ancients were before they ascended. Her research methods were not quite as advanced as Anubis's turned out to be, possibly because she didn't have as much knowledge concerning Ancient physiology as Anubis had in his quest for creating the ultimate warrior. Nirrti's experimentation on the children of Hanka was done mostly with hand-held instruments, including the Healing Device. SG-1 confiscated all the instruments from her lab and made them available to her at the SGC so that she could reverse her alterations of Cassandra [Fraiser]. In exchange for helping Cassandra, Nirrti was granted her freedom, and she once again began to delve into her genetic research, but with a trial-and-error methodology using an Ancient DNA Manipulation Device on the habitants of P3X-637, who eventually killed her with the powers she had given to them. (5.06 "Rite of Passage", 6.16 "Metamorphosis", 7.11 "Evolution Part 1", 9.09 "Prototype")
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 Ba'al's Gravity Field Generators |
Ba'al's Gravity Field Generators — Ba'al kept a secret base where he did research into weapons technology and gravity field generators. He used these gravity field generators to exert a stronger gravitational pull on an object in a specific localized area. His base's prison cells were built in such a way as to cause the back wall of the cell to become the floor to its occupant, thus making it seem like the prisoner was in a pit. Ba'al also used these gravity field generators to pin a prisoner to a grate for torture, as what he did to O'Neill. When SG-1 determined O'Neill's location, their primary targets were the power generators that controlled the gravity fields, thus giving him a fighting chance at an escape. Ba'al's base's location was revealed to Lord Yu, who attacked the base and unwittingly helped O'Neill to escape. Ba'al's research into these gravity field generators had not been done with the knowledge of the other System Lords and went against their High Council rules, thus giving Lord Yu the right to attack. (6.06 "Abyss")
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Stargate Force Field — The Stargate on Erebus had a force field that functioned like the iris on Earth's Stargate. The shield was controlled by a small remote control that sent specific activation and deactivation signals. When Bra'tac was being captured, he pressed the deactivation button as the Stargate was dialed to the Alpha Site. The signal was recorded, but its origins were not determined until after Daniel recalled its purpose after he returned to human form after having been an Ascended Being. He had witnessed Bra'tac's capture while still ascended and it was about three months afterwards that he remembered the incident. Using the recorded signal, the SGC sent it to Erebus and successfully lowered the force field so that they could execute a rescue. Anubis kept a similar force field on the Stargate on Tartarus where he was creating his Kull Warrior army. A Warrior's armor allowed him to enter the base through the raised force field, while the field kept others from invading. As it turned out, a similar force field is present on the Stargate in Atlantis, which makes it the oldest of the Stargate force fields. It is possible, then, for the Erebus and Tartarus Stargate force fields to be originally Ancient in design. (7.04 "Orpheus", 7.12 "Evolution Part 2"; Stargate Atlantis: 1.01 "Rising Part 1")
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Anti-Gravity Dry Dock — Ba'al used this large anti-gravity platform to build his massive motherships on Erebus. This dry dock was situated near the naquadah refinery for rapid shipbuilding. In order to create a diversion to free Teal'c's son Rya'c and mentor Bra'tac from slavery in the refinery, Daniel and Carter destroyed one of the anti-gravity generators so that the weight of the mothership brought the entire project slowly, but irreversibly, down to the ground, where it exploded. (7.04 "Orpheus")
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Comprehensive History of the Goa'uld
This series of articles covers each Goa'uld personality that the SGC has encountered since Daniel Jackson reopened the Stargate (Stargate: The Movie):
Episodes
Related Characters
Related Articles
A few excerpts were written for Solutions by Jordan Kreiger.
--DeeKayP 20:30, 13 January 2008 (PST)
