Textile is an animal textile made from the fibres of the cocoon of the Chinese silkworm which is spun into a smooth fabric prized for its softness. There are two main types of the silk: 'mulberry silk' produced by the Bombyx Mori, and 'wild silk' such as Tussah silk. Silkworm larvae produce the first type if cultivated in habitats with fresh mulberry leaves for consumption, while Tussah silk is produced by silkworms feeding purely on oak leaves. Around four-fifths of the world's silk production consists of cultivated silk. Grass, rush, hemp, and sisal are all used in making rope. In the
Smuggling of silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire Smuggling of silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire In the mid-6th century AD, two monks, with the support of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, successfully smuggled silkworm eggs into the Byzantine Empire, which led to the establishment of an indigenous Byzantine silk industry. This acquisition of silk worms from China allowed the Byzantines to have a monopoly of silk in Europe. Silk, which was first produced sometime during the fourth millennium BC by the Chinese, was a valuable trade commodity along the Silk Road. By the first century AD, there was a steady flow of silk into the Roman Empire.