Section 1

Working together using this wiki

 Chapters 12 and 13 - China and its Spread

Period of Six Dynasties and Wendi - Cameron Tripp

 

Six Dynasties is a name for a group of six dynasties that ruled during the periods of the Three Kingdoms, Jin Dynasty, and Southern and Northern Dynasties.

The term generally refers to two groupings of dynasties during that period:

The six dynasties with capitals in Jiankang:

1. Eastern Wu (222–280)
2. Jin Dynasty (265–420)
3. Liu Song Dynasty (420–479)
4. Qi Dynasty (479–502)
5. Liang Dynasty (502–557)
6. Chen Dynasty (557–589)

These six dynasties with legitimate lineage are:

1. Cao Wei (220–265)
2. Jin (265–420)
3. Liu Song Dynasty (420–479)
4. Qi Dynasty (479–502)
5. Liang Dynasty (502–557)
6. Chen Dynasty (557–589)

Wendi:

·         The founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.

·         a Buddhist

·         encouraged the spread of Buddhism

·         officially supported Confucianism

·         Had a powerful military

 Wendi, the emperor of China

Tang and Song Economic Revolutions-Sara Toomey:

·         There was a system put in place to distribute land equally.

·         Government officials began being chosen by merit.

·         The development of rice cultivation

·         Expansion of trade.

·         Farmers began growing enough to take to the markets.

·         The invention of paper money made business much easier.

 

"CHINA'S HEGEMONY." 14 Nov 2008 http://www.historyhaven.com/APWH/unit2/CHINA.htm.

 

"Industrial/Economic Revolution of Song China." China History Forum. 14 Nov 2008

<http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/lofiversion/index.php/t14769.html>.

Rice Cultivation in China

Expansion of urban centers in Song China - Russell Stewart

-         The Song dynasty ruled China from 960-1279 CE

-         As warlords began to confiscate aristocratic lands, aristocrats moved to urban areas

-         Under the Song dynasty, the use of copper and silver coins increased tremendously

-         With more money in circulation, cities, that had previously been only administrative centers, became commercial centers

-         The dynasty’s two largest cities were the capital cities of Kaifeng and Hangzhou

-         These capital cities were characterized by a lively street life with markets, shops, and restaurants

-         The extent of urbanization experienced the major Song dynasty cities was matched nowhere else in the world

-         This commercialization accelerated China’s desire for foreign markets

 

The picture shows the bustling city of Kaifeng inside the city’s walls.

 

Schirokauer, Conrad. "The Song Dynasty in China." Asian Topics in World History. 2004. Asia for Educators, Columbia University. 14 Nov 2008 <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/song/index.html>.

 

Hooker, Richard. "The Later Empire: The Sung ." The Chinese Empire. 1996. Washington State University. 14 Nov 2008 http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/SUNG.HTM.

 

Inventions of the Tang and Song era - A. Steiner

 

-         New innovations contributed to the economic growth and social prosperity of these eras

-         Chinese junk:  one of the best ships in the world at the time; equipped with watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, oars, sails, compasses, bamboo fenders, and gunpowder propelled rockets

-         Paper money:  first use occurred in the Tang era; used in conjunction with credit vouchers, or flying money, when traveling; enabled far-flung banking system to develop

-         Explosive powder:  used originally in fireworks, the Song soon developed ways to hurl the chemical mixtures as grenades, permanently changed methods of warfare

-         Kites:  first used during this time

-         Compass:  were first applied to sea navigation during the Song period

-         Abacus:  introduced to help merchants count profits and tax collectors keep track of revenue, predecessor to the calculator, limited the urgency for future innovation

-         Movable type:  devised by Bi Sheng in the mid-11^th century, enabled the Chinese to attain the highest level of literacy of any preindustrial nation

 

A 13^th Century painting of a Song Dynasty junk showing an elevated stern and sternpost rudder along with oars and sails.

 

"Junk (ship)." Wikipedia. 14 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_junk>.

 

 

Artistic expression in the Tang and Song era- Lise Ross

 

-Mainly due to the revival of the Confucian scholar gentry

-Concentrated on everyday life

-Li Po, most famous poet of the Tang era

-Landscape painting popular

-Paintings accompanied by poetry

-Tang era famous for expanding the culture, mainly lyrical poetry

-Other famous poets: Wang Wei and Tu Fu

Tang era Chinese painting by Zhou Fang.

Longman, Addison. "Chapter 18 Outline." New World Civilizations online. 2001. New World Civilizations. 14 Nov 2008 <http://occawlonline.pearsoned.com/bookbind/pubbooks/stearns_awl/chapter18/objectives/deluxe-content.html>.

Examination system Abby Pardue

• The examination system was a method that attempted to recruit men to government positions based on merit and intellect rather than family or political connections.
• The idea of a state ruled by men with ability and intelligence was a component of Confucian philosophy.
• Began during the Han Dynasty and was abolished in 1905 by the Ch’ing dowager empress.
• This system made education an important component of Chinese society.
• Education became the key to a higher social status. Once a person passed the provincial examination, he/she and his or her family was elevated to scholar gentry title.

 

This is a painting of the scholars undergoing the Chinese Examination System.

 

 

"The Imperial Examination System in China." China Tour Guide. 14 Nov 2008 <www.chinatourguide.net/12_14.htm>.

 

 "Chinese Examination System." infoplease. infoplease. 14 Nov 2008 <http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0811913.html>.

 

 

 

 

Empress Wu and Empress Wei - Rebecca Overcash

 

 

 

• Empress Wu is also known as Wu Hou, Wu Chao, Wu Zetian, or Wu Tsê T?ien
• Born in the year of 625 AD.
• Born and raised in China during the Tang dynasty.
• Daughter of Wu Shih-Huo, a rich and noble merchant at the time.
• She was well educated at home.
• She was taught to play music, write, and read the Chinese classics.
• Well known for her beauty, wit, and intelligence.
• Was recruited to the Tang court at the early age of 13 in 638 AD
• She went from a low-ranking concubine to T?ai Tsung’s(Emperor of Tang) favorite concubine.
• T?ai Tsung died in 652 AD, and Empress Wu mourned his death and traditionally, she shaved off all her hair and became a nun.
• Empress Wu had quite an impact on the women during her time.
• After Empress Wu died, her third son, Chung-Tsung’s, wife(Empress Wei) tried to rule.

• Used Empress Wu as her example.
• Empress Wei did things like initiating corruption at court by openly selling offices.
• Chung-Tsung died in 710 and rumors say that Empress Wei poisoned him, but nobody knows for sure.
• After the death of Chung-Tsung, Empress Wei tried to establish herself as the ruler of the Tang Court like Empress Wu did, but she failed.
• Courts that revolted against her caused her failure.
• Tai-Ping was another women that supposedly took after the example of Empress Wu.

This is a painting of what Empress Wu was depicted as looking during her time.

 

 

"Empress Wu." Azete. 2006. 14 Nov 2008 <http://www.azete.com/view/64202>.

 

"Empress Wu." 123helpme. 2007. 14 Nov 2008 <http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=64202>.

 

 

"Empress Wu Zetian." 2006. 14 Nov 2008

                <http://www2.history.ubc.ca/lshin/teaching/images/tang/wuzetian.gif>.

 

 

 

 

 

The Silk Road- Elayne Monjar

• The Silk Road is a network of trading routes across many Asian countries, which include China, Java, India, Persia, that connects the Eastern world with the Western world.
• The earliest record of trade between the Eastern World and the Western world is with the people of the Sahara who imported domesticated animals from Asia around 6000 ad 4000 BCE. 
• The routes of the silk route are over 5,000 miles long.  These routes allow travelers to go all around northern, central, and southern Asia.
• The Silk Road is a favorite for traders to use because they are easy routes that connect different regions for the world. 
• The Silk Road did not only allow the two different worlds to interact through trading, but also through culturally.  For instance, the religion Islam became from prominent because Arab traders would teach their religion and ideology to other societies. 

Wendorf, Fred and Romuald Schild. "Late Neolithic megalithic structures at Nabta Playa (Sahara), southwestern Egypt.." March 1998 .

Wild, Oliver. "The Silk Road." 1992. 14 Nov 2008 http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html.

 

 

 This is a picture that shows all of the routes of the Silk Road

Canal system

Neo-confucianism- Kim Martinez

 

• Neo-Confucianism is a type of Confucianism that can be traced all the way to the Han Yu in the Tang Dynasty.

• When it really took off though and when most people recognize it for developments is during the Song Dynasty.

• The neo- Confucianism was the fundamentals of the later known Confucian Orthodoxy.

• One of the most well known thinkers for the Neo-Confucianism is Zhu Xi ( 1130-1200).

• IT merged the ideas and philosophies of Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist.

• Neo-Confucianism is still alive today yet it’s mainly the doing of Zhu Xi that has kept it so. Through his books and also when he was alive his teachings.

• Neo-Confucians believed that Tao is expressed in li (principle) but “sheathed” in the way of the qi (material). Basically that all humans are naturally good yet if one doesn’t purify their “li” one isn’t really pure.

• Overall it resembled Taoist and Buddha although later on it resembled some ideas with Taiji symbols. A book expressnig these ideas was the Book of Change.

 

 A picture of all three, Confucius, Buddha, and Lao Tzu, drinking from a jar together. 

"Neo-Confucianism." Wikipedia. 2008. Wikipedia. 13 Nov 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Confucianism.

 

 

 

Footbinding- Jordan Hubbard

 

·         No one knows how the practice of foot binding began but there are several legends.

a.        The most common legend is about the Chinese prince Li Yu who ruled during the Sung Dynasty. His concubine, Yao Niang, walked so gracefully that it appeared as if she was “skimming over the top of golden lilies”. Another variation is that Yao was ordered to have feet in the shape of half moons so she could toe dance which is like ballet on a golden lotus flower. Women wanted to have “lotus feet” like her and the practice began.

b.        Another variation is that the last Empress of the Shang Dynasty has a clubbed foot and asked her husband to make foot binding mandatory for young girls so her foot would be considered beautiful.

·         In the beginning, foot binding was only practiced by court dancers and they were followed by all the women in court. The poor still needed their daughters to be able to work so foot binding was seen as a social status for the wealthy but it would not always be so. Soon the practice spread and women were handicapped by not being able to walk. This caused women to stay at home and continue to be inferior to men.

·         Soon poor women bound their feet in hopes that they could improve their social status by marrying rich.

·         The process of foot binding started anywhere from four to early teens like thirteen; the process began whenever the mother wanted it to.

·         The younger the better. If the arch does not have time to develop and the bones are still soft it makes it a “little” less painful process.

·         The mother started the process usually in the fall or winter so the foot would be numb.

·         The foot was first soaked in warm water or animal blood and herbs. Then the toe nails were cut as short as possible so they could not grow into the foot. The four small toes on each foot were broken and bound with silk or cotton ten inch bandages. Every two days for about two years the bandages were removed and tightened. After two years the foot was about three inches but girls who tied their bandages exceptionally tight could get it down to two inches.

·         The pain of this process never stopped. Many girls’ feet got infected because the toe nails would curl into the skin and cause flesh to rot off.

·           After three years, the foot would die and smell terribly for the rest of the girl’s life.

·         Older women with their feet bound are more likely to fall when they get older, break bones, have trouble standing up, and squatting.

·         Chinese women bound their feet to be beautiful. “No pain no gain”. More than that, men in China would not marry a girl whose feet looked like “boats.” Also small feet were seen as erotic to men.

·         In 1911, the new Republic of China came to power and banned the practice of foot binding. Women were forced to unbind their feet which is more painful than them being bound because the foot losses its structure and expands.

·         Hutchins, Candace. "Chinese Foot Binding." Chinese Foot Binding. 16 Nov 2008 <http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/China/04/hutchins/hutchins.htm>.

 

 

 

 "There are a thousand buckets of tears for one who binds her feet"

 

 

The voyages of Zheng He (look in ch. 15)

 

Tributary System                                                           

 

     This article is about the Chinese system, jimi. For other uses, see Wikipedia or something.

 

 

-Jimi, the Chinese system of tribute, was the Chinese strategy of keeping order among its many territories by forcing them to pay tribute. 

-In addition to military strength, China used denial of their trade networks to coerce territories to pay tribute.

-China was very careful to differentiate between tribute ("gong") and gifts, which were needed to bribe nomadic peoples.

 

                                                                                                                                

Three guesses what I used as a source for this article :P -Duncan H.

 

 

 

Initiatives of the early Ming (look in Ch. 15) - Evan Hoke

 

Goals of the early Ming Dynasty:

1. They aimed to restore early Chinese traditions that were destroyed by the Mongols.

2. They aimed to re-establish Confucian educational and civil service systems.

 

 3. They wanted to centralize authority.

 

 a) The ming emporers insisted on absolute obedience to the policies and initiatives of the central government.

 

 4. Economic Recovery was a goal.

 

 a) They conscipted laborers to rebuild irragtion systems and because of that, agriculture production surged.

 

 b) They also promoted the manufacture of porclain, lacquerware, and fine silk and cotton textiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 A map of the Ming Dynasty at its greatest extent.

 

 
Content: "The importance of the Tang and

 

 Song economic revolutions and the initiatives of the early Ming

 

 Dynasty." 29 Apr 2006 14 Nov 2008

 

 <http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=The_importance_of_the_Tang_and_Song_economic_revolutions_and_the_initiatives_of_the_early_Ming_Dynasty>.

 

 Map: Langill, "History of Chinese and

 

 Japanese Civilization Maps." 14 Nov 2008

 

 <http://homepages.stmartin.edu/Fac_Staff/rlangill/HIS%20217/HIS%20217%20Maps.htm>.

 

 

 

 

Silk, porcelain, and "china"

Heien Japan and the Fujiwara clan -- Meghan Edwards

 

-Confucianism and other Chinese influences peaked during this period

-"Heien" translates to "peace and tranquility" in Japanese

-followed the Nara period

-weakened Japanese economy and induced poverty

-the relocation of Japan's capital occured during this time (Hiean-kyo)

-descended from the Nakatomi clan

-powerful family that monopolized regent positions in Japan (members of provincial aristocracy and samauri)

-dominated government from 794-1160

-stemmed from marriage and alliances with Imperial family

-emperors were generally Fujiwara women

-period of developing poetry and literature

 

http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/thumb/f/ff/Fujiwara-Fuhito.jpg/300px-Fujiwara-Fuhito.jpg 

"Hiean Period." Wikipedia. 13 Nov 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heian_period.

 

Lady Murasaki, The Tale of Genji- Maggie Dillon

-Murasaki was a lady in waiting to the Empress during the Heian Period

-She was an excellent observer of life at court and found most of the activities a frivilous waste of time.

-Murasaki Shikibu's novel The Tale of Genji is often considered to be one of the world's first novels

-Two English translations are slightly different. One is a more literal translation of the words while the other stays more true to the original text.

-The novel is loosely based on things that happened while Murasaki was at court but very much dramatized.

-The story follows Genji, a son of a Japanese emperor through life. It includes his many love affairs (that are usually forbidden because they are with wives or concubines of other ment)  the children he produces and his social status.

A Statue of Lady Murasaki stands as tribute to the first Modern novelist, Who also happens to be a WOMAN :) .. take that boys :P (Jk, Jk....)

 

 

The Taira-Minamoto war and the fall of the Fujiwara

 

The Daimyo and the Samurai - Lewis Dalrymple

• Daimyo
  • Powerful territorial landlords who ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings.
  • Most powerful feudal rulers from the 10th Century to the 19th Century following the Shogun
  • Shugo Daimyo were the first to hold the title of Daimyo
    • Arose from among the Shugo during the Muromachi period
    • Police, military, and economic power within a province
  • The Ashikaga Shogunate required that these Daimyo resided in the capital of Kyoto
    • Daimyo appointed relatives as retainers to watch over their provinces
  • Onin War
    • Great uprising where the Daimyo fought among themselves
    • Those Daimyo that managed to control uprisings from their underlings remaind in power, while those that failed to do so were replaced by the Sengoku Daimyo
  • During the Edo period there were 200 Daimyo
    • Ranked acording to rice production
  • Tokugawa Shogunate forbid Daimyo from building military fortifications

 

• Samurai
  • Military nobility of pre-industrial Japan
  • Some clans formed from farmers who had taken up arms to fight tax collectors
    • Developed distinct Japanese weapons and armor, along with their ethical code, or Bushido
  • Had undying Loyalty to their lords
  • Running away was considered shameful
    • All battles were fought to the death

 

Samurai in Armor, 1860s

 

"Daimyo." Wikipedia. 16 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimyo>

"Samurai." Wikipedia. 16 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai>

 

 

The Code of Bushido    Andrew Craver

 

 

Summary:

          A code that the Samurai should follow in order to become a better warrior for the Emperor.  A brief version is as follows:

A Warrior will be:

Loyal                               Honorable

Virtuous                          Trustworthy

Fearless                          Athletic

Militaristically Wise        Unselfish

Fair                       Benevolent

Polite                              Authentic

Sincere                           Educated

Cultured

 

 

Citation:

"Code of Bushido." 1998. 14 Nov 2008 <http://www.christianjujitsu.com/Code_of_Bushido/Code_of_Bushido.html>.

 

 

A Samurai Warrior

 

http://www.bushidodesigns.com/images/samurai.jpg

 

Kamakura Shogunate - John Caudle

v     Starts with the Gempei Wars in Japan

v     The Minamoto conquered the opposing Taira and established the Bakufu (as the government) in Kamakura

v     The Bakufu or Kamakura Shogunate is a feudal military dictatorship

v     Yoritomo was the leader of the Minamoto

v     He weakened the Kamakura Shogunate because of his paranoia of being overthrown by military leaders

v     Shoguns were the military leaders that lead the Kamakura Shogunate

v     This system of government lasted from 1185 - 1333

"History Minamoto Era." January 2006. 14 Nov 2008 <http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/history.htm>.

This image shows the Gempei Wars in Japan and how they were near Kamakura affecting it being the capital of the Minamoto.

 

 

Ashikaga Shogunate-Colt Burgin

• Feudal military dictatorship ruled by shoguns of the family of Ashikaga family
• This period is also known as the Muromachi period
• Founder of Ashikaga Shogunate- Ashikaga Takauji
• This was the weakest of the shogunates compared to the Kamakura and Tokugawa shogunates
• The regional power lied with the provincial leading figures (a.k.a. daimyo)
• Military power depended on the loyalty to the Ashikaga
• Feuds between the daimyo caused warfare in the late Muromachi period.
• The Ahshikaga Shogunate was destroyed in 1573
  • Oda Nobunaga drove Yoshiaki (the 15th Ashikaga shogun) out of Kyoto
• Ashikaga family is still here today

 

This is a picture of Ahikaga Takauji, the founder of the Ashikaga shogunate.

 

CITATION-

 

"Ashikaga Shogunate." onpedia.com. 14 Nov 2008 http://www.onpedia.com/encyclopedia/Ashikaga-shogunate .

 

 

^{Pure Land and Zen Buddhism - JC Bunch}

 

^{Pure land Buddhism , also sometimes referred to as Amidism, is a broad branch of Mahayana Buddhism and currently one of the most popular schools of Buddhism in East Asia. This form of Buddhism was first brought to china in around 148 C.E. during the Han Dynasty. Pure land Buddhism also played a minor role in the spread of Buddhism in India.}

 

 

 

^{The Buddha Amitabha, 13th} century, Kamakura, Japan.

 

 

 

 

JAPANESE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION- Josh Broach

Asuka and Nara art

The major focus point of artists during this period was the newly introduced religion of Buddhism. The usual form of artistic expression was from a Greco-Buddhist art idea rendering realism as well as a particular flowing pattern among dresses. Buddha sculptures were made during this period and proved to be a reflection of these expression methods. This art expression made its way to Japan through the Silk Road transmission of Art. The important thing coming out of this period was the care and dedication artists had towards preserving the newly introduced religion of Buddhism. Their wooden structures and bronze cast sculptures of Buddha set to represent their expression of religion through art.

 

Heian art          

The introduction of Vajrayana Buddhism came about in this period. Mandalas came of particular liking to the artists of this period as they expressed the grand spiritual universe that is presented in Buddhism. They set out to protect and further Buddhism by the arts. They also changed up their architecture as a result and blended this new breed of Indian Buddhism with the Chinese Buddhism they had held for so long.

 

Fujiwara art

Fujiwara artistic expression showed the materialistic and aesthetic values held by the ruling Fujiwaras at the time. They even changed the Buddhist religion to match their own values by saying that paradise cannot be much different from the civilization they had constructed. Art proved to blend even more than it had during the Heian or Asuka, this time the blend was between religion and society as a whole. Art shifted to be less religiously meaningful and more of a pure aesthetic form of Buddha images and other structures.

 

Kamakura art

A very realistic form came out during the art of the Kamakura. Priests wanted Buddhism to become a commonly recognizable idea which had seemed to have dissipated during the Pure Land rulers. Images and sculpture became very realistic looking in Buddhist temples. Calligraphy also came about as a means of making these more realistic for wives of fallen Samurai.

 

Ashikaga art

A very elitist group took control of Japan during this period. As a result the art expressed became a very formal and black and white type painting. This replaced the colorful and mystical ideas from the Pure Land rulers of old.

 

An example of a Buddhist Mandala which is a representation of the spiritual universe. This came about during the Heian period where a potent protection was placed on Buddhism.

 

Haiku poetry- Will Boggs

• Haiku poetry is a type of poetry that was created in Japan

• This type of poem has 17 Japanese on's which are a phoetic unit

• The poem is split into three metrical phases which are 5,7, and 5 in that order

• Most of Haiku poetry contained a kiogo which is a reference to a certain type of season that is distinct in that area

• Haiku's in Japan usually are one long line, but in English they tend to appear as three seperate lines which represents the three different metrical phases

• Haiku poetry used to be called hokku and it wasn't until the 19th century when it got its current name by Japanese writer named Masaoka Shiki

 

This is an illustrated version on a haiku in Japanese.

 

"Haiku." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 12 Nov 2008, 01:59 UTC. 14 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

Silla (Korea) and Sinification-Dalyn Bellingham

 

• Silla was one of the three kingdoms of Korea-lasted from 57 BC-935 AD

• Allied with China, Silla conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje and Goguryeo

• Sinification is the phenomenon of neighboring cultures becoming influenced by Chinese culture and language without assimilation

• Silla took part in sinification and has many similar aspects of culture and language

• Silla was ruled by three clans, which were the Seok, Kim, and the Park

• Buddhism was formally adopted by Silla in 527 under King Beopheung

• After almost 1000 years, Silla was fragmented into the Later Three Kingdoms.

A crown from the Silla Kingdom

"Silla." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 12 Nov 2008, 01:17 UTC. 14 Nov 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silla&oldid=251230247>.

Trung Sisters - Adam Barr

• The Trung sisters were daughters of a powerful Vietnamese lord

• Trung Trac was the older sister, and Trung Nhi the younger

• Trung Trac mobilized the Vietnamese lords to fight for their freedom from the Chinese

• The Trung sisters chose 36 women, including their mother, to be generals in the Vietnamese army, consisting of 80,000 people

• The Vietnamese drove the Chinese out in 40 C.E., and made Trung Trac the ruler, renaming her Trung Vuong

• The Trung sisters spent the next three years fending off the Chinese until they finally lost in 43 C.E.

A monument to the Trung sisters

"Female Hero: The Trung Sisters." 2008. 12 Nov 2008 <http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine10.html>.

Vietnamese Independence

 

 

 

Pure Land and Zen Buddhism - JC Bunch

 

Porcelain

By the time Europeans learned the secrets of making porcelain China had benn doin it for thousands of years. China is so high speed, getting to the point, porcelain is made form coal dust and kaolin, a white clay, and is baked at high temperatures.

 

Silk

Silk is created by the coocoon of silk worms, it was over 5000 years before the secret was discovered. Silk became one of the most popular materials in the world and it still is very popular. Justin Ford