Centuries of Silk - from China to Como

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The origin of silk is veiled in mystery. It is generally agreed that it was first woven in China. Tradition holds that it was Hsi-ling-shi, wife of the Emperor Huang-ti, who discovered silk in the third millennium b.c. Apparently a cocoon fell into her hot tea and revealed the lustrous filaments to her.

More concrete evidence comes in the form of red fragments of textile discovered in the township of Qianshanyang in the province of Tzejiang. These have been carbon-dated to 3000 b.c., making the textile the oldest known silk fabric anywhere. In the same area, close to the town of Wu-hsing, more silk strands have been excavated. These were dated back to 2850--2650 b.c. …