The East had a monopoly on this material until the 6th century, when 2 monks smuggled out some worms
This was a key development, as the Byzantines had previously thought 
silk... [DOC] [TLE] History of silk - Wikipedia [PAR] The production of silk originates in China in the Neolithic Silk remained confined 
to China until the Silk Road opened at some point during the later half of the first 
millennium BCE.