- Silk is a very fine material that was originally made by unravelling the threads of cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori.
- In the Ancient World, only China produced Silk which it transported to the West along the Silk Road.
Silk Road
- In the Ancient World, the Silk Road was a chain of routes by which Bales of Silk from China reached the Mediterranean by land and included a sea crossing over the Indian Ocean.
- In the reverse direction went Spices from South Arabia, Precious Gems and Amber from Western Europe, and Glassware from Rome.
Justinian I (527-565 CE)
- Between 551-553 CE, Justinian I backed two monks to successfully smuggle silkworm eggs back from China to Constantinople.
- He was then able to create the Eastern Roman Empire’s own Silk industry.
- However, Commercial Silk manufacture in Western Europe only developed during the Medieval period.
China