bilig-32/ Winter 2005

Silk in Central Asia B.C

Doç. Dr. Zahide İmer

Abstract: The noble looking silk is believed to be found by the Chinese in 3000 B.C. However it is not exactly verified that this wonderful looking textile material is actually found by the Chinese and which cocoon type was the first one to be used.

In this study, our aim is to research the existence of a Chinese state in the Central Asia during 3000 B.C and whether these tribes were the ones actually to have found and produced the silk.

Today, although not very much detailed information on their battles are in hand, findings and documents on their communicating with other communities were obtained from their common motifs.

In this study, findings concerning the samples obtained from the recent excavations by the Chinese archaeologists have been taken into consideration and have been evaluated.

In the study, after the introductory part which covers information about the Chinese and the Turkish tribes who lived in middle Asia , information is given about silk and its types, while topics such as its production and trade where it was grown are treated under separate headings.

Then under the section concerning the history of silk, legendary information about silk has been given and in the section, research and findings about silk, archaeological studies from the past till now have been examined and we have tried to reach our aim while taking the chronological order into account.

Key words: Central Asia , Silk, Chinese, Chinese Silk Turkish tribes, China .