How Roman silk imports drained gold

Roman demand for silk sent gold toward China

Romans bought so much Chinese silk that critics worried about gold flowing out of the empire. The Senate repeatedly tried and failed to ban silk clothing. Critics also called silk morally improper, linking worries about its cost with worries about luxury.

83%

South America lost most of its large mammals

Around 11,000 years ago, South America lost 83% of its large mammals during a major extinction event. That was among the highest rates of large-mammal loss of any continent.

National cuisines were partly chosen and created

In 19th- and 20th-century Europe, writers, governments, cooks and food experts helped decide which food traditions represented a nation. As industrial food production grew, so did interest in cuisines presented as authentic links to the past.

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How Roman silk imports drained gold

Roman demand for silk sent gold toward China

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