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Silkworm
Stolen silk eggs
A lot of China’s raw SILK ended up
in the Byzantine empire, where skilled
textile workers turned it into fine,
colorful fabrics to sell across Europe.
That was not enough for Emperor
Justinian. In the 500s CE, he paid two
monks to smuggle silkworm eggs out
of China. At last Byzantium could make
its own silk. China’s monopoly was over.
Travelers didn’t just
How it changed the world
carry silk along the Silk
Road. It also opened up trade
of all sorts, and the exchange
of ideas, religions—
and diseases!
West meets East
The Italian explorer
Marco Polo traveled
Emperor Wu grew along the Silk Road in the
rich through trade 1270s. He reached the court
along the Silk Road. of the Mongol emperor,
Kublai Khan. His account of
his ADVENTURES in the
exotic East fascinated
European readers.
What came after…
In 1453, Constantinople During the 1400s and
fell to the Ottoman sultan, 1500s, EUROPEAN EXPLORERS
MEHMED II. The Turks now discovered new sea routes to
controlled land trade with India and China. Silks and
the East. Europeans looked for spices reached Europe on
alternatives to the Silk Road. boats, not camel caravans.
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