Excavations at the ancient trade hub of Vidisha have revealed an intact 1st-century CE Ayurvedic pharmaceutical laboratory. The site contains specialized distillation retorts, stone mortars with carbonized herbal residues, and several small terracotta jars labeled with early Brahmi script detailing the contents' medicinal properties.
Analysis of the residues confirms the large-scale production of complex oils and ointments described in the Charaka Samhita. This find provides tangible archaeological proof of the professionalization and industrial scale of Ayurvedic science during the early historic period, demonstrating that Indian medicine was an evidence-based and highly structured discipline.