Question

What culture gave the visiting europeans eyeglasses and silk fabric

Answer 1

The culture that gave the visiting Europeans eyeglasses and silk fabric was the Chinese civilization. The Chinese invented eyeglasses over a 1,000 years ago, according to British scientist and historian Sir Joseph Needman. By the time Marco Polo arrived in China around 1270, eyeglasses (which he mentions in his accounts) were widely used in Chinese upper class. On the other hand, silk has been used by the Chinese for approximately 5,000 years. The earliest evidence of silk dates back to around 4,000-3,000 BC in Shanxi province, where a culture silk cocoon was found.