02.05.2015

Traditional knowledge  (TK),  indigenous knowledge  (IK),  traditional ecological knowledge  (TEK) and  local knowledge  generally refer to knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of  regional, indigenous, or local  communities. Traditional knowledge includes types of knowledge about traditional technologies of subsistence (e.g. tools and techniques for hunting or agriculture),  midwifery,  ethnobotany  and ecological knowledge,  celestial navigation,  ethnoastronomy,  the climate  etc. These kinds of knowledge are crucial for the subsistence and survival and are generally based on accumulations of empirical observation and interaction with the environment.

In many cases, traditional knowledge has been  orally passed  for generations from person to person. Some forms of traditional knowledge are expressed through  stories,  legends,  folklore,  rituals,  songs, and even  laws. Other forms of traditional knowledge are expressed through different means.  

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_knowledge