Collect & know

For people today knowledge is above all the product of science. The idea that knowledge is something which must be proved empirically is a relatively new one. In former times people had different concepts of knowledge; it could be religious or magical, handed down or inherited. Knowing was also always associated with collecting, for example strange objects, writings and books, animals and plants. What was of interest in this respect and how did this shape people’s view of the world at any given time?