Biomolecular Evidence of Silk from 8,500 Years Ago

PLoS One. 2016 Dec 12;11(12):e0168042. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168042. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Pottery, bone implements, and stone tools are routinely found at Neolithic sites. However, the integrity of textiles or silk is susceptible to degradation, and it is therefore very difficult for such materials to be preserved for 8,000 years. Although previous studies have provided important evidence of the emergence of weaving skills and tools, such as figuline spinning wheels and osseous lamellas with traces of filament winding, there is a lack of direct evidence proving the existence of silk. In this paper, we explored evidence of prehistoric silk fibroin through the analysis of soil samples collected from three tombs at the Neolithic site of Jiahu. Mass spectrometry was employed and integrated with proteomics to characterize the key peptides of silk fibroin. The direct biomolecular evidence reported here showed the existence of prehistoric silk fibroin, which was found in 8,500-year-old tombs. Rough weaving tools and bone needles were also excavated, indicating the possibility that the Jiahu residents may possess the basic weaving and sewing skills in making textile. This finding may advance the study of the history of silk, and the civilization of the Neolithic Age.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Fibroins / analysis
  • History, Ancient
  • Humans
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Silk / history*
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Textiles / history

Substances

  • Silk
  • Soil
  • Fibroins

Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.