The Silk Road: Silk And The Role It Played In Ancient China

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Introduction

One of Chinas most famous creations is silk, which was invented in the late stone age time (8000BC-2500BC). Silk played a huge role in ancient china as one of the most expensive pieces of clothing that everyone wanted because it represented wealth especially the brighter colours. Silk came from silkworms which are little caterpillars that turn into silk moths. Silk was also a great material to trade on the Silk Road as the Chinese got other valuables like gold, spices, jewels and jade. In this assignment I will be covering when silk was invented, how silk was made, the use of silk and the role it played in ancient Chinese society, why silk was such a precious item in ancient China and why it was kept a secret and the importance of the Silk Road.

Silk

Silk is a very soft, smooth, light (weight) material that was invented in the late stone age times (800-2500BCE). Silk is made by little caterpillars usually the Bombyx mori moth. When a caterpillar turns into a moth, they spin a cocoon and, in this case, the silkworm spins a cocoon made out of silk. This was figured out in the 2640BCE. The legend is that it was created by Empress Lei Zu when she was studying the cacoons and accidentally dropped it into a pot of hot water while she was making a cup of tea. But in the CE the silkworms are kept on trays and fed leaves and berries of the mulberry tree. Then once the silkworm has spun its cocoon, the cocoon is placed in boiling hot water. It takes 1700 to 2000 cocoons to make one silk dress.

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The use of silk and the role it played in ancient china

Silk played a huge role on ancient Chinese society, as only the rich people could afford it. Silk was so expensive, but that meant that people who sold it got lots of money and this also meant that when the Chinese traded silk with other people they could get more luxurious valuable items such as gold, spices, jewel and jade. People also traded silk for new ideas so this helped china become more complex than other countries. Silk is a strong material so you can use it for lots of other things other than clothes like bike tires, parachutes, bedding and silk is also useful as temporary stitching and helps hold things in place. Researches are saying that “silk could be used to heal wounds, prop up bones, and even replace tendons inside our bodies” according to Laura Yan.

The secret

Silk was so precious because of how valuable and rare it was. The Chinese kept silk a secret for about 2 thousand years because it was a prized export from China. Nobles, Kings and Queens all wanted silk and would pay such high rates so the emperors decided to keep it a secret. It was the biggest secret because if you were caught telling anyone or taking silkworms out of China there would be serious consequences, most people would get killed.

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