Scientists discover ancient silk production in Uzbekistan nearly 2,000 years before the Silk Road

New evidence from Uzbekistan suggests ancient Central Asians raised silkworms around 2000 BCE. These findings challenge the traditional timeline for silk production in the region. Archaeologists discovered ancient silkworm cocoons and mulberry tree remains at Sapalli Tepe. This indicates local sericulture was established long before the Silk Road trade routes developed. These discoveries place silk production alongside other early Eurasian exchanges of knowledge and goods.