Alchemy

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Illustration to the Speculum Sophicum Rhodostauroticum (1618) by Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens

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In the history of science, alchemy (Arabic: الخيمياء, al-khimia) refers to both an early form of the investigation of nature and an early philosophical and spiritual discipline, both combining elements of chemistry, metallurgy, physics, medicine, astrology, semiotics, mysticism, spiritualism, and art all as parts of one greater force. Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, and China, in Classical Greece and Rome, in the Muslim civilization, and then in Europe up to the 19th century—in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.

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+[[Image:Speculum Sophicum Rhodostauroticum.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Illustration to the ''[[Speculum Sophicum Rhodostauroticum]]'' ([[1618]]) by [[Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens]]]]
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 In the [[history of science]], '''alchemy''' ([[Arabic]]: الخيمياء, ''al-khimia'') refers to both an early form of the investigation of [[Natural science|nature]] and an early [[philosophy|philosophical]] and [[spirituality|spiritual]] discipline, both combining elements of [[chemistry]], [[metallurgy]], [[physics]], [[medicine]], [[astrology]], [[semiotics]], [[mysticism]], [[spiritualism]], and [[art]] all as parts of one greater force. Alchemy has been practiced in [[Mesopotamia]], [[Ancient Egypt]], [[Persia]], [[India]], and [[Chinese alchemy|China]], in [[Classical Antiquity|Classical]] [[Ancient Greece|Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome|Rome]], in the [[Islamic Golden Age|Muslim civilization]], and then in [[Europe]] up to the 19th century—in a complex [[Social network|network]] of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.