Presentations on natural fibers and their origin. Presentation on technology "fabrics based on natural fibers of animal origin and their properties." Types of wool fabrics

Natural fibers of animal origin.

MBOU "Ziminsk secondary school - kindergarten» Razdolnensky district, Republic of Crimea, technology teacher of the highest qualification category: Shcherba Irina Vasilievna

Epigraph of our lesson

“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I will remember. Let me try and I’ll understand.”

Chinese proverb

Materials science studies the properties of textile fibers.
All textile fibers divided into natural and chemical.

Natural fibers of animal origin

Wool fibers are the hair of various animals: sheep, camels, goats, llamas, etc., but sheep wool is most widely used (95%). Fine wool from merino and angora goats is considered the best. Wool taken from a sheep is called rune . Camel wool is warm and is an excellent insulator that maintains a constant body temperature. Alpaca (llama) wool has all the properties of camel wool. “Kviviut” – musk ox wool is 7-8 times softer and warmer than cashmere.

Until now, no one knows exactly why the ancient fleece was called golden. Perhaps the wool of ancient Colchis rams really had a golden hue, and perhaps the inhabitants of ancient Colchis mined gold using sheep skins: they spread the skin on the bottom of a stream, and the wool retained the golden grains of sand brought by the water. Of course, it was not yet known that the fleece itself contained gold...
And recently at the British Nuclear Research Center they decided to determine chemical composition sheep wool. Particularly sensitive instruments detected gold in the fibers. It was found in the protein structure of hair and other animals. Moreover, the gold content of different animals is approximately the same. Unfortunately, none of the scientists has yet been able to answer the question: where does the gold in wool come from and what is it for?

Wool is a natural fiber of animal origin.

Ancient woolen fabrics were discovered during excavations of burial mounds. Having lain for several thousand years underground, some of them were superior in thread strength to modern ones. The bulk of wool is obtained from sheep; merino sheep produce fine wool. Sheep are sheared once or in some cases twice a year. from one sheep they get from 2 to 10 kg. wool From 100 kg. 40–60 kg of raw wool is obtained. clean. Camel wool is used to make outerwear and blankets. In addition to sheep, wool from rabbits, llamas, and bison was used in America; in Asia, camels and goats were used. Before being sent to textile factories, wool is subjected to primary processing: sorted, i.e. fibers are selected according to quality; crush - loosen and remove clogging impurities; wash with hot water, soap and soda; dried in tumble dryers. Then the yarn is made, and from it in textile factories it is made into fabric. In the finishing industry, fabrics are dyed in various colors and various designs are applied to the fabrics. Dress, suit, and coat fabrics are made from wool fibers.

The Legend of Silk

Legend has it that the Chinese Empress Hen-Ling-Chi (2600 BC) was the first to discover this remarkable fiber. She accidentally dropped the cocoon into hot water and saw that silk threads had separated from the softened cocoon. The Empress came up with the idea that the thread with which the caterpillar wraps itself could be unwound and weaved into cloth. She was amazed by the beauty and strength of the silk thread, collecting thousands of cocoons and weaving fabric from them. The fabric turned out to be wonderfully thin, light, and beautiful. Clothes were sewn for the emperor. So the silkworm butterfly gave silk to the whole world, and the empress was elevated to the rank of deity for her valuable gift. Silk was worth its weight in gold; A bundle of silk fabric was given a double weight of gold. This is how I was born ancient culture sericulture, based on the vital activity of the silkworm, feeding on the leaves of the white mulberry (mulberry).

The production of silk fabrics has been known since the third millennium BC. in China - the Great Chinese Silk Road.

The raw material for the production of natural silk fabrics is silk fiber - a product of the secretion of the glands of mulberry and oak silkworm caterpillars. The cocoon thread has a length from 500 to 1500 m and a thickness of 10-12 microns. By unwinding several cocoons, raw silk is obtained, from which twisted silk is produced, used for the manufacture of fabrics and silk threads.
In 121 BC. The first camel caravan was sent with silk and bronze mirrors. The Silk Road is a system of caravan routes that for more than a thousand years connected the cultural centers of the vast continental space between China and the Mediterranean. From the 2nd century AD silk became the main product that Chinese merchants carried to distant countries. Lightweight, compact and therefore especially convenient for transportation, it attracted the attention of buyers along the entire route of caravans, despite its high cost. Silk fabrics gave an unusual feeling of softness, sophistication, beauty and exoticism. They wanted to possess and admire it. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved luxurious robes made of this material.

Properties of wool fiber

Wool fibers are characterized by good heat-shielding properties, high wear resistance, high hygienic properties - hygroscopicity and breathability, and have high dust holding capacity and shrinkage. Wool fibers are resistant to all organic solvents used in dry cleaning of clothing.

The strength of wool fibers depends on thickness and length (from 20 to 450 mm).
The color of the coat can be white, gray, red and black.
The shine of the coat depends on the size and shape of the scales.
Wool fiber has good elasticity. Wool products do not wrinkle.
Wool's resistance to sunlight is much higher than that of plant fibers.
When burning, the wool fibers are sintered; when the fibers are removed from the flame, their burning stops, and a sintered black ball forms at the end of the woolen thread. At the same time, the smell of burnt feathers is felt.

A B C D

The structure of wool fiber

1 – scaly layer;
2 – cortical layer;
3 – core.

1 - fluff;
2 – transitional hair;
3 – spine;
4 – dead hair.

Properties of silk fiber

The thickness of the cocoon thread is uneven throughout its entire length.
The strength of silk is higher than the strength of wool.
The color of boiled cocoon threads is white and slightly creamy. At temperatures above 110 C, fibers lose strength.
Natural silk has good hygroscopicity.
Soft, shiny, beautiful-looking silk products, however, have low wear resistance and high cost.
It feels cool to the touch.
When exposed to direct sunlight, silk breaks down faster than other natural fibers.
During burning, the silk fibers are sintered; when removed from the flame, their burning stops. A black caked ball forms at the end, easily rubbed, and the smell of a burnt feather is felt.

a – cocoon thread;
b – boiled silk

Wool

Silk

Wool is used to produce yarn, fabrics, knitwear, felting products, etc.

Card No. 1. Properties of wool fibers and fabrics made from them.

Length

2 – 45 cm.

Various, the thicker the fiber, the stronger

White, grey, red, black

Properties

Flaws

Good heat-shielding properties, high wear resistance, high hygienic properties - hygroscopicity, breathability. When exposed to heat and moisture, wool fiber acquires the ability to elongate up to 60% or shrink

Dust holding capacity, shrinkage

After combustion, it forms a black lump, rubbed with fingers, the smell of a burnt feather remains

They produce dress, suit and coat fabrics: drape, gabardine, cashmere

Product care

Wash by hand at t30C, with detergents, dried flat, ironed at t150-160C using an ironing iron

Card No. 2. Properties of silk fibers and fabrics made from them

Length

500 – 1500m

Thickness - very thin, like a spider's web, but very strong.

White, creamy.

Properties

Flaws

It has high hygroscopicity and breathability. They are elastic, so the fabrics do not wrinkle easily, are smooth, soft, beautiful, have shine, and drape well.

They stretch, crumble, and have significant shrinkage.

After combustion, it forms a black lump, rubs it with your fingers, and the smell of a burnt feather remains.

Product care

Wash by hand at t30 - 40C, rinse with water and vinegar. Squeeze lightly. Iron at t150 – 160C on the wrong side.

Comparison of wool and natural silk fibers

Wool

Fiber appearance

Natural silk

Rough matte

Type of thread break

Crimped fiber brush

Smooth, shiny

Character of filament burning

Straight fibers

Black ball, burnt feather smell

Which animals give greatest number of all wool processed in textile mills?
Sheep provide the bulk of the wool.
How does the strength of a fabric depend on the thickness of the fiber?
The thicker the fibers, the stronger the fabric.
What colors do natural wool fibers come in?
White, grey, pink and black colors.
What is the felting property of wool fibers?
Under the influence of moisture and friction, wool fibers fall off.
What properties do wool fibers have?
High hygroscopicity, heat-shielding properties, elasticity.
What textile materials are made from wool?
Dresses, costumes, coats, felt, felt.

What is the goal primary processing silks?
Treatment of cocoons with hot steam to soften silk glue; unwinding threads from several cocoons at the same time.
Describe the properties of natural silk?
They have high hygroscopicity and breathability. They are elastic, so the fabrics do not wrinkle easily, are smooth, soft, beautiful, have shine, and drape well.
What fabrics are made from natural silk?
They produce dress and blouse fabrics such as crepe de Chine and chiffon.

Description of the presentation individual slides:

1 slide

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NATURAL SEWING MATERIALS SCIENCE Section: Lesson topic: FIBERS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN Developed by: Ishnazarova Tatyana Nikolaevna Technology teacher, MAOU Secondary School No. 32, Ulan-Ude

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linen cotton chemical animal origin natural plant origin Textile fibers Classification of textile fibers Wool silk

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Wool taken from sheep in an almost solid, inextricable mass is called fleece. The thinnest, softest, crimped fiber is called fluff. Thicker, stiffer, less crimped fiber is called hair or wool.

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MERINO WOOL (MERINOS) is wool taken from the withers of a Merino sheep. Merino, a breed of fine-wool sheep. Merino wool is uniform and consists of very fine and soft downy fibers. It is long (annual coat length 6-8 cm), white, warm, and has excellent thermostatic properties. Due to natural curls, it is elastic.

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LAMA (LAMA. Llama wool consists of two layers: the top protective hair and the undercoat (fluff). The undercoat is used to make luxury clothing. When fully sheared, both layers are removed and the wool is cleaned of protective hair. When combing, only the undercoat is obtained. The llama's wool is different lightness and softness, the ability to perfectly retain heat (thermal capacity) and provide comfort in a wide range of temperatures (thermostaticity).It does not cause allergic reactions, is able to repel water and, unlike other types of wool, regulate its humidity in a range convenient for humans.

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ALPACA is a type of llama. The alpaca is a rare animal; its wool is expensive; unlike sheep, alpacas are sheared once a year. Alpaca wool has exceptional properties: it is light, soft, uniform and silky, very warm (7 times warmer than sheep), with high thermoregulatory properties; durable (3 times stronger than sheepskin), not subject to rolling, falling or jamming; Unlike the scaly and therefore prickly fibers of sheep's wool, alpaca fibers are smooth and comfortable to the touch.

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CAMEL WOOL (CAMEL) is the downy undercoat of the non-working Bactrian camel (Bactrian), living in Central and East Asia. The most valuable wool is the Mongolian Bactrian. Once a year it is collected (or combed). Camel wool is light (twice lighter than sheep's wool), but at the same time, the most durable, elastic and warm. It protects well from moisture, and is also capable of absorbing and quickly evaporating it, leaving the body dry.

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CASHMERE is the finest down (undercoat) of the high-mountain cashmere goat, which lives in the Tibet region and in the Kashmir province between India and Pakistan. To obtain fluff, the goat is not shorn, but is combed by hand once a year, in the spring, during molting. Cashmere is valued for its exceptional softness, lightness, ability to retain heat and the absence of allergic reactions to it.

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MOHAIR is the wool of Angora goats that live in Turkey (Angora province), South Africa and the USA. Mohair is a luxurious natural fiber. No other wool has such a magnificent long pile with a stable and long-lasting natural shine. Products made from mohair require delicate storage and careful care. They should be hung on hangers to avoid wrinkles, not exposed to high temperatures and dried at room temperature; clean only with a dry method, not forgetting that chemical treatment can shorten their service life.

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ANGORA - This is the fluff of Angora rabbits. Once upon a time, China, in response to Turkey’s inflated prices for the sought-after wool of Angora goats, produced a softer and cheaper yarn called “Angora”. As it turned out, it was the fluff of wild rabbits called Angora. Under these conditions, the Turks called the wool of Angora goats “mohair,” which means “chosen” in Arabic. Subsequently, Angora rabbits began to be bred in Europe and the USA. Angora wool is exceptionally soft, very warm and fluffy, with a characteristic delicate pile. Products made from Angora wool create unique comfort and are therefore very popular and in demand. However, Angora wool also has its drawbacks: weak fixation of rabbit fluff in the yarn can cause abrasion of the fabric; the need to protect the angora from excessive wetting and clean it only chemically.

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Wool fibers range in length from 20 to 450 mm and vary in thickness. The strength of wool fibers depends on their thickness and structure. The color of the coat can be white, gray, red and black. The shine of the coat depends on the size and shape of the scales. Wool fiber has high hygroscopicity and good elasticity and heat protection. Due to their good elasticity, wool products do not wrinkle. Wool's resistance to sunlight is much higher than that of plant fibers. Reaction to combustion Wool fibers sinter during combustion; when the fibers are removed from the flame, their combustion stops. A black sintered ball forms at the end, which is easily rubbed with your fingers. During the combustion process, the smell of burnt feathers is felt. PROPERTIES OF WOOL FIBER

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Wool fiber is used to make dress, suit and coat fabrics. Thanks to its feltability, wool can be used to make cloth, drape, felt, felt, and other textile products. Wool fabrics go on sale under the names: gabardine, cashmere, drape, cloth, tights and others.

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The secret of making silk was first discovered in China five thousand years ago. An ancient legend says that one day Xi Ling Chi, the wife of the third emperor of China, Huang Di, who was also called the “Yellow Emperor,” was drinking tea in the garden of the palace under the crown of a mulberry tree and a silkworm cocoon fell from the tree into her cup of tea. The young empress and her maids were extremely surprised to see how the cocoon began to unfold in the hot water, releasing a thin silk thread. Having become interested, the girl began to watch how the cocoon unfolded. Xi Ling Chi was so amazed by the beauty and strength of the silk thread that she collected thousands of cocoons and wove clothes for the emperor from them. So a tiny silkworm butterfly gave silk to all of humanity, and the empress, in gratitude for such a valuable gift, was elevated to the rank of deity.

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Slide 17

Natural fibers of animal origin.

MBOU "Ziminsk secondary school - kindergarten" Razdolnensky district Republic of Crimea technology teacher of the highest qualification category: Shcherba Irina Vasilievna

Epigraph of our lesson

“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I will remember. Let me try and I’ll understand.”

Chinese proverb

Section: materials science

Materials science studies the properties of textile fibers.
All textile fibers are divided into natural and chemical.

Lesson topic

Natural fibers of animal origin

Wool fibers are the hair of various animals: sheep, camels, goats, llamas, etc., but sheep wool is most widely used (95%). Fine wool from merino and angora goats is considered the best. Wool taken from a sheep is called rune . Camel wool is warm and is an excellent insulator that maintains a constant body temperature. Alpaca (llama) wool has all the properties of camel wool. “Kviviut” – musk ox wool is 7-8 times softer and warmer than cashmere.

From the history of wool.

Until now, no one knows exactly why the ancient fleece was called golden. Perhaps the wool of ancient Colchis rams really had a golden hue, and perhaps the inhabitants of ancient Colchis mined gold using sheep skins: they spread the skin on the bottom of a stream, and the wool retained the golden grains of sand brought by the water. Of course, it was not yet known that the fleece itself contained gold...
And recently, the British Nuclear Research Center decided to determine the chemical composition of sheep wool. Particularly sensitive instruments detected gold in the fibers. It was found in the protein structure of hair and other animals. Moreover, the gold content of different animals is approximately the same. Unfortunately, none of the scientists has yet been able to answer the question: where does the gold in wool come from and what is it for?

Wool is a natural fiber of animal origin.

The Legend of Silk

Legend has it that the Chinese Empress Hen-Ling-Chi (2600 BC) was the first to discover this remarkable fiber. She accidentally dropped the cocoon into hot water and saw that silk threads had separated from the softened cocoon. The Empress came up with the idea that the thread with which the caterpillar wraps itself could be unwound and weaved into cloth. She was amazed by the beauty and strength of the silk thread, collecting thousands of cocoons and weaving fabric from them. The fabric turned out to be wonderfully thin, light, and beautiful. Clothes were sewn for the emperor. So the silkworm butterfly gave silk to the whole world, and the empress was elevated to the rank of deity for her valuable gift. Silk was worth its weight in gold; A bundle of silk fabric was given a double weight of gold. Thus was born the ancient culture of sericulture, based on the vital activity of the silkworm, feeding on the leaves of the white mulberry (mulberry).

The production of silk fabrics has been known since the third millennium BC. in China - the Great Chinese Silk Road.

Silk is a natural fiber of animal origin.

The raw material for the production of natural silk fabrics is silk fiber - a product of the secretion of the glands of mulberry and oak silkworm caterpillars. The cocoon thread has a length from 500 to 1500 m and a thickness of 10-12 microns. By unwinding several cocoons, raw silk is obtained, from which twisted silk is produced, used for the manufacture of fabrics and silk threads.
In 121 BC. The first camel caravan was sent with silk and bronze mirrors. The Silk Road is a system of caravan routes that for more than a thousand years connected the cultural centers of the vast continental space between China and the Mediterranean. From the 2nd century AD silk became the main product that Chinese merchants carried to distant countries. Lightweight, compact and therefore especially convenient for transportation, it attracted the attention of buyers along the entire route of caravans, despite its high cost. Silk fabrics gave an unusual feeling of softness, sophistication, beauty and exoticism. They wanted to possess and admire it. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved luxurious robes made of this material.

Properties of wool fiber

Wool fibers are characterized by good heat-shielding properties, high wear resistance, high hygienic properties - hygroscopicity and breathability, and have high dust holding capacity and shrinkage. Wool fibers are resistant to all organic solvents used in dry cleaning of clothing.

The strength of wool fibers depends on thickness and length (from 20 to 450 mm).
The color of the coat can be white, gray, red and black.
The shine of the coat depends on the size and shape of the scales.
Wool fiber has good elasticity. Wool products do not wrinkle.
Wool's resistance to sunlight is much higher than that of plant fibers.
When burning, the wool fibers are sintered; when the fibers are removed from the flame, their burning stops, and a sintered black ball forms at the end of the woolen thread. At the same time, the smell of burnt feathers is felt.

A B C D

The structure of wool fiber

1 – scaly layer;
2 – cortical layer;
3 – core.

1 - fluff;
2 – transitional hair;
3 – spine;
4 – dead hair.

Properties of silk fiber

The thickness of the cocoon thread is uneven throughout its entire length.
The strength of silk is higher than the strength of wool.
The color of boiled cocoon threads is white and slightly creamy. At temperatures above 110 C, fibers lose strength.
Natural silk has good hygroscopicity.
Soft, shiny, beautiful-looking silk products, however, have low wear resistance and high cost.
It feels cool to the touch.
When exposed to direct sunlight, silk breaks down faster than other natural fibers.
During burning, the silk fibers are sintered; when removed from the flame, their burning stops. A black caked ball forms at the end, easily rubbed, and the smell of a burnt feather is felt.

The structure of natural silk fibers

a – cocoon thread;
b – boiled silk

Wool

Silk

Application of wool

Wool is used to produce yarn, fabrics, knitwear, felting products, etc.

Card No. 1. Properties of wool fibers and fabrics made from them.

Length

2 – 45 cm.

Various, the thicker the fiber, the stronger

White, grey, red, black

Properties

Flaws

Dust holding capacity, shrinkage

After combustion, it forms a black lump, rubbed with fingers, the smell of a burnt feather remains

They produce dress, suit and coat fabrics: drape, gabardine, cashmere

Product care

Wash by hand at t30C, with detergents, dry flat, iron at t150-160C using an iron

Card No. 2. Properties of silk fibers and fabrics made from them

Length

500 – 1500m

Thickness - very thin, like a spider's web, but very strong.

White, creamy.

Properties

Flaws

It has high hygroscopicity and breathability. They are elastic, so the fabrics do not wrinkle easily, are smooth, soft, beautiful, have shine, and drape well.

They stretch, crumble, and have significant shrinkage.

After combustion, it forms a black lump, rubs it with your fingers, and the smell of a burnt feather remains.

Product care

Wash by hand at t30 - 40C, rinse with water and vinegar. Squeeze lightly. Iron at t150 – 160C on the wrong side.

Comparison of wool and natural silk fibers

Wool

Fiber appearance

Natural silk

Rough matte

Type of thread break

Crimped fiber brush

Smooth, shiny

Character of filament burning

Straight fibers

Black ball, burnt feather smell

Which animals provide the largest amount of total wool processed in textile factories?
Sheep provide the bulk of the wool.
How does the strength of a fabric depend on the thickness of the fiber?
The thicker the fibers, the stronger the fabric.
What colors do natural wool fibers come in?
White, grey, pink and black colors.
What is the felting property of wool fibers?
Under the influence of moisture and friction, wool fibers fall off.
What properties do wool fibers have?
High hygroscopicity, heat-shielding properties, elasticity.
What textile materials are made from wool?
Dresses, costumes, coats, felt, felt.

Questions and tasks for discussion

What is the purpose of primary processing of silk?
Treatment of cocoons with hot steam to soften silk glue; unwinding threads from several cocoons at the same time.
Describe the properties of natural silk?
They have high hygroscopicity and breathability. They are elastic, so the fabrics do not wrinkle easily, are smooth, soft, beautiful, have shine, and drape well.
What fabrics are made from natural silk?
They produce dress and blouse fabrics such as crepe de Chine and chiffon.

Cotton fibers Cotton is a fiber of plant origin obtained from cotton bolls. When the fruit ripens, the cotton boll opens. The fiber, along with the raw cotton seeds, is collected at cotton receiving points, from where it is sent to a cotton gin plant, where the fibers are separated from the seeds. Then follows the separation of the fibers by length: the longest fibers from 2025 mm are cotton fiber, and the shorter lint hairs are used to make cotton wool, as well as for the production of explosives.

Fabrics from cotton fiber The range of cotton fabrics is very diverse, it includes the largest number of types and articles. Fabrics vary in structure, type of finish, properties, appearance and have versatile applications. Cotton fabrics are characterized by good wear resistance, hygiene, beautiful appearance, color fastness, tolerate water and heat treatments well. The disadvantages of these fabrics are increased creasing and deformability when worn. All types of weaving are used to produce cotton fabrics.

Wool fibers Wool is the hair of animals: sheep, goats, camels. The wool is removed from the sheep using special scissors or machines. The length of wool fibers is from 20 to 450 mm. They cut it into an almost solid, unbroken mass called FLEECE.

Silk fibers Natural silk is obtained by unwinding silkworm cocoons. A cocoon is a dense, tiny egg-like shell that a caterpillar wraps tightly around itself before developing into a chrysalis. Four stages of silkworm development: 1. Testicle. 2. Caterpillar. 3.Doll. 4.Butterfly.

The silkworm, or silkworm, is a caterpillar and butterfly that plays an important economic role in silk production. The caterpillar feeds exclusively on mulberry leaves. A closely related species, the wild silkworm, lives in East Asia: in the northern regions of China and the southern regions of the Primorsky Territory of Russia. The silkworm is the only fully domesticated insect that is not found in the wild in nature. Its females even “forgot how” to fly. An adult insect is a thick butterfly with whitish wings with a span of up to 6 cm. The caterpillars of this silkworm eat only mulberry or mulberry leaves. Silkworm caterpillars curl cocoons, the shells of which consist of a continuous silk thread m long and up to 1500 m in the largest cocoons.

A little history The birthplace of silk is considered to be ancient China. According to many legends, the culture of sericulture arose around the 5th millennium BC. on the banks of the Great Yellow River. Most notable is the tale of Lei Zu, the first consort of the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese who lived in central China about 5,000 years ago. Having moved to her husband from the southwestern part of the country, Lei Zu brought with her the secret of growing silkworms. At first, she taught people how to breed silkworms, unravel the cocoon and thus provide themselves with clothing. In the Celestial Empire, there was no longer such a misfortune as scratches and abrasions, and subsequent generations began to bring offerings to Lei Zu as the founder of sericulture... The legends are confirmed by archaeological excavations in the provinces of Hubei and Hunan: well-preserved 152 silk items were found, including 35 items of clothing in great condition. This means that sericulture existed approximately two thousand years before the birth of Christ (the Late Neolithic era), and silk production was already a developed industry years ago - this is precisely the age of the discovered remains of fabric!

More than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wu Di sent an envoy to the west to pave the way for silk caravans to travel. This is how the Great Silk Road appeared. Naturally, the secret of making silk in China was guarded with special trepidation. Hence, by the way, the absolutely phantasmagoric ideas about the origin of silk threads among ancient thinkers: they say that they grow on trees, and are the product of the vital activity of an animal with large horns, and they are not threads at all, but the fluff of special birds... For smuggling mulberry leaves wood and silkworm larvae, according to Chinese law, a painful death was expected. But the thirst for profit (and silk was literally worth its weight in gold, pound for pound) took its toll. Around the 5th century, silk was exported from China, and at the same time its production began in several countries around the world. Again, according to legend, one cunning Indian rajah wooed a Chinese princess. And as a dowry he wanted - guess what? And the poor bride brought silkworm larvae and mulberry seeds... right in her high wedding hairstyle. In the Mediterranean countries, the production of silk fabric became widespread around the same time when silkworm eggs (eggs) of the silkworm were first brought to Constantinople from China. The role of pilgrims of good will was played by the monks, who hid the larvae in the hollows of their staffs. In the Middle Ages, silk became one of the main industries in Venice (XIII century), Genoa and Florence (XIV century), and Milan (XV century). And already in the 18th century throughout Western Europe they wove their own silk with all their might.

The Old Northern Road arose on the initiative of Emperor Wudi, who needed thoroughbred horses for the army. I saw such horses during my embassy to Central Asia in the years. BC. dignitary Zhang Qian. He reported to the emperor about the absence of silk weaving in other countries and advised the emperor to export silk abroad in exchange for beautiful horses, as well as sweet fruits, wine, etc. In 121 BC. The first camel caravan with silk and bronze mirrors headed to the Fergana oasis through the Turfan depression along the spurs of the Tien Shan. But the ongoing trade was interrupted by devastating uprisings in that area in the years. AD However, trade soon continued, but along a new route - the Southern Road.