Leizu Discovers Silk Making
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476
- Categories: Women’s Issues, Technology, Inventions, Economics, Agriculture
- Subcategories: Trade, Commerce, Industry, Manufacturing, Factories, Legends, Myths, Crafts, Fashion, Clothing
- Curriculum: Women’s History, Asian History, Ancient History
- Geographical Location: China
- Date: c. 2600
Article abstract: An ancient and perhaps legendary Chinese empress discovered the technique for unwinding silkworm cocoons and weaving them into fabric.
Summary of Event
China has long been associated with the production of silk, to the point that ancient Egyptian writers referred to it as Serica, literally “the land of silk.” The Chinese so closely guarded the secrets of silk that the Roman historian Pliny the Elder (23-79 c.e.) wrote that it was produced by washing downy fibers from leaves. So old is sericulture (the techniques surrounding the...
[The entire page is 1050 words long]
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