Tea Cultivated 3,000 Years Before The Pyramids

Rhizome upon uncovered
Part of a Camellia sinensis rhizome. Photo courtesy of Hemudu Site Museum, Zhejiang.

Archaeologists digging in the Tianluo Mountains near Ningbo, in Zhejiang province, China, have traced the origin of tea to around 3,000 years before the Egyptians constructed the first pyramids.

In 2004 researchers discovered old roots of the Camellia sinensis plant which showed traces of manual digging. Evidence of cultivation and broken pottery at the Neolithic village dig led researchers to conclude that these artifacts are about 6,000 years old, according to the Zhejiang Cultural Relics and Archaeological Research Center. In a peer-reviewed report following 10 years of study, researchers concluded it was the Hemudu culture, flourishing between 5,500 BC and 3,300 BC, that first cultivated and brewed tea.

Dan is an editor and publisher, a podcaster, blogger, and beverage retail consultant. He is a frequent speaker at industry seminars and conferences (virtual and in-person). Dan was the first editor and publisher at World Tea News and has worked as editor and publisher of Tea Magazine and managing editor of STiR coffee and tea. His work appears online and in many magazines. In 2016 he organized the collaborative group of tea journalists and experts who founded Tea Journey magazine and in 2021 launched the Tea Biz podcast. He began his publications career in 1974 as a newspaper reporter.

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