China's silk secret shaped the ancient world
Ancient China pioneered silk production over 5,000 years ago, transforming humble silkworms into a luxurious global commodity that shaped economies and cultures for millennia.
Over 5,000 years ago, ancient China began producing silk from mulberry silkworms, a process called sericulture. Early Neolithic communities around 3500 BCE cultivated these caterpillars, which exclusively feed on mulberry leaves to spin luxurious silk threads. This innovation was a closely guarded state secret for millennia.
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