Where does silk come from

Known formally as sericulture, silk production has taken many forms throughout the history of trade and into today’s modern textile industry. The earliest we know silk to have been in production goes back over 8,000 years ago. It was found in tombs located in Jiahu, a city in the Henan Province of China.

Although it’s hard to know the exact history of silk given how far back into antiquity its production stretches, legend credits a Chinese empress for its development as a popular textile. Due to its specialty status, the fabric was made for and worn by Chinese royalty and those of their choosing, and they tried to suppress knowledge of how silk was made for many years in order to maintain their corner on the market.

Of course, trade did eventually expand bringing with it the answer to where silk comes from, and different species of caterpillars, insects and arachnids are now cultivated for their silk-spinning abilities in various parts of the world.