In the Zhejiang province of China, archaeologists have unearthed a remarkable textile workshop belonging to the Liangzhu Culture, dating back 5,000 years. The site contains the remains of what appear to be the world's first vertical hydro-silk looms, which utilized the flow of nearby canal water to automate the tensioning of fine silk threads. This technological leap allowed for the production of much wider and more intricate silk fabrics than previously thought possible for the Neolithic era.
The discovery includes hundreds of polished stone tensioning-weights and several bamboo frames that retain microscopic traces of mulberry silk. The presence of this automated machinery suggests that the Liangzhu people had achieved a proto-industrial level of textile production, supporting a high-status economy that exported luxury silks across the Yangtze River Delta thousands of years ago.