Species identification of silks by protein mass spectrometry reveals evidence of wild silk use in antiquity

Abstract

Silk has been a luxurious commodity throughout modern human history and sericulture has played an important role in ancient global trade as well as technological and cultural developments. Archaeological findings suggest that prior to domestication of the mulberry silkworm (Bombyxmori) silks were obtained from a range of silk-producing moth species with regional specificity. However, investigating the origins of sericulture is difficult as classification of silks by species-type has proved technically challenging. We therefore investigated a range of methods for solubilising modern and archaeological silks and developed a mass spectrometry-based proteomics method that was able to successfully differentiate modern Bombyx,Antheraea, and Samia-produced silks down to the species level. We subsequently analysed archaeological silk materials excavated from the ancient city of Palmyra. Solubilisation behaviour and proteomic analysis provided evidence that the Palmyra silks were constructed from wild silk derived from Antheraeamylitta, the Indian Tasar silkworm. We believe this is the first species-level biochemical evidence that supports archaeological theories about the production and trade of Indian wild silks in antiquity.

Networks of trade and exchange along the Israeli Silk Road: the silk and cotton finds from Nahal Omer, Negev Desert

“…We will therefore combine textual and iconographic sources from the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, and bioarchaeological analyses of finds and methods of textile archaeology, in order to answer four main questions: Where did the raw materials for the silk and cotton fragments found at Nahal Omer originate? What can cutting-edge biogeochemistry methods, such as isotope analyses (Ryan et al 2021), taxonomic identification using proteomic methodologies (for silk: Lee et al 2022), and residue analyses of dyestuffs, add to the information available in the ancient written sources and the microscopic analysis of the textile materials? Where were the silk and cotton fabrics produced, and how were they manufactured? What can fibre analysis and technical characteristics such as spinning directions, weaving techniques, patterns, and embellishments such as embroidery, reveal about the locations of textile production, and the original shapes and different uses of the fabrics?…”

“…Where did the raw materials for the silk and cotton fragments found at Nahal Omer originate? What can cutting-edge biogeochemistry methods, such as isotope analyses (Ryan et al 2021), taxonomic identification using proteomic methodologies (for silk: Lee et al 2022), and residue analyses of dyestuffs, add to the information available in the ancient written sources and the microscopic analysis of the textile materials?…”

Multi-faceted Analysis Reveals the Characteristics of Silk Fabrics on A Liao Dynasty DieXie Belt

“…It is believed that wild silk was used in the ancient textile industry [12], even though domesticated Bombyx mori silk has been prevalent since early times. The Liaoning Province has a long history of farming Antheraea pernyi and is the primary region in China for producing Antheraea pernyi silk.…”

“…Silk is a protein ber mainly composed of silk broin and sericin protein, of which the former has a highly organized crystalline structure that can be examined and identi ed even after millennia of burial. Thus, proteomics has emerged as a novel method for analyzing historical silks with applications in several recent studies, including the discovery of silk relics [10,11], the identi cation of silk species [12][13][14][15][16], the study of silk's decomposition processes [17]. In addition, methods based on antigen-antibody immunoreactivity also plays an important role in ancient silk analysis.…”

Proteomic Analysis of Collagen: A Mass Spectrometry Approach to Material Identification of Shadow Puppet Cultural Relics

“…Consequently, in recent years, biological mass spectrometry has been widely used in the identi cation and analysis of archaeological materials containing proteins. [27][28][29] For example, it has been used to determine the raw materials of adhesives made from protein and to identify the material and production process of artifacts. [30][31][32][33][34] Overall, proteomics has proven to be a powerful tool in the study of cultural heritage, providing new insights into the materials and production processes used in the past.…”