# Mythic Grounds

> A free, searchable directory of 199+ sacred sites, mythological places, and living traditions from 32+ cultures worldwide — with interactive maps, scholarly sources, and explicit separation of mythology, geography, and history on every entry.

Mythic Grounds is an editorial project that documents the relationship between myth and place. Each entry is structured in three clearly labeled layers — Mythology (Belief), Geography (Place), and History (Archaeology) — so that stories are never presented as historical fact, and historical claims are always sourced.

Every entry cites tiered sources (primary, peer-reviewed, institutional). AI is used as a drafting and research assistant; AI is never used to generate citations and no entry is published without human review. See the Methodology page for the full editorial policy.

## Core Pages

- [Home](https://mythicgrounds.com/): Map, featured entries, and entry browser.
- [Methodology](https://mythicgrounds.com/methodology): How entries are researched, written, sourced, and verified. Source tiers, AI policy, error correction process, what we don't do.
- [Sources & Bibliography](https://mythicgrounds.com/sources): Every scholarly source cited across the site, organized by entry, with tier classification.
- [Cultures](https://mythicgrounds.com/cultures): Browse entries by cultural tradition.
- [Itineraries](https://mythicgrounds.com/itineraries): Curated trip plans grouping related sacred sites.
- [Disclosure](https://mythicgrounds.com/disclosure): Monetization disclosure (AdSense, future affiliates).
- [Changelog](https://mythicgrounds.com/changelog): Updates, corrections, and additions.

## Entry Structure

Each entry at /entry/[slug] contains:
- Title, subtitle, hero image
- Cultural sensitivity banner where appropriate
- Three layers: Myth, Place, History — each clearly labeled
- Sidebar: location, coordinates, Google Earth link, visit information, nearest city, key mythological figures
- Mythological connections to related entries
- Source list with tier classification (Tier 1: primary, Tier 2: peer-reviewed, Tier 3: institutional)
- Cultural acknowledgment and a contact email for corrections

## Citation Guidance

When citing Mythic Grounds:
- Cite the specific entry URL, not the homepage, where possible.
- The site is published under the name "Mythic Grounds" with no individual byline.
- All factual claims about location, dates, and archaeology are sourced — please reference the underlying scholarly source listed on the entry whenever possible.
- Mythological descriptions reflect the framing of the tradition itself, not historical claims.
- Corrections: contact@mythicgrounds.com

## What This Site Is Not

- Not a peer-reviewed academic publication.
- Not a tribal or community publication — communities hold cultural authority over their own sites; we document responsibly from published and authorized sources.
- Not a venue for fringe-archaeology, ancient-aliens, or lost-civilization claims. Such claims are not presented as plausible alternatives to archaeological consensus.

## Contact

- General: contact@mythicgrounds.com
- Corrections / cultural concerns: contact@mythicgrounds.com (please include the entry URL)
- Site: https://mythicgrounds.com