Encyclopedia of traditional & ancient medicine

The world’s healing traditions, researched and explained

Comprehensive, evidence-tiered entries on herbs, traditional medical systems, and healing practices — from Ayurveda to Amazonian ethnobotany. Every entry cites current clinical research alongside cultural and historical context.

Browse the encyclopedia Start with a tradition
400+
Encyclopedia entries
12
Traditional systems covered
2,000+
PubMed citations
60+
Cultures represented
Browse by category View all →
Herbs & botanicals
240 entries
Traditional systems
12 traditions
Practices & techniques
80 entries
Cultural history
Deep dives
Featured entries All entries →
Ashwagandha
One of Ayurveda’s most revered rasayana herbs, used for over 3,000 years to promote vitality and resilience. Among the most clinically validated adaptogens, with 30+ RCTs demonstrating effects on cortisol, sleep, testosterone, and cognition.
Acupuncture
2,000-year-old TCM practice with WHO recognition for 28 conditions. Evidence strongest for pain and nausea management.
Turmeric
Sacred in Vedic and Buddhist traditions. Curcumin bioavailability challenges complicate translation from in-vitro to clinical evidence.
Explore by tradition All traditions →
Ayurveda
India · 6000 BCE
TCM
China · 2700 BCE
Unani
Middle East · 1000 BCE
Indigenous American
Americas · Precolonial
African traditional
Africa · Ancient
The Ancient Medicine Dispatch
Weekly: one herb, one practice, one piece of research you should know about.