In Chinese conceptions of wenhua 文化, worked fibers and clothed bodies were fundamental signs of human civilization. Chinese archaeology therefore expected textiles, even when its methods—shaped by Western archaeological premises—made them difficult to recover or recognize. China had long challenged European hierarchies of materials: Jade could outrank precious stones; bronze mattered more than gold. Silk, however, occupied a distinctive position. It embodied civilizational identity while simultaneously generating capital in domestic and global markets. Drawing on a database of textiles excavated in China and dated 1260–1450, this paper examines how changing techniques of excavation, conservation, and analysis made silk newly visible—and how archaeological evidence emerged through negotiations among Chinese material values, imported disciplinary practices, heritage politics, and markets alike.