The tomb of a Chinese emperor who lived more than 2,100 years ago has
yielded the oldest remains of tea, said researchers who used it to re-date part
of the ancient Asian Silk Road. The plant remains were retrieved from burial pits around the
tomb of Liu Qi, the fourth emperor of the Han dynasty who lived between 188 and
141 BC. The tea was likely prepared as “butter tea” in which it was mixed
with salt, tsampa (roasted barley flour) and/or ginger. The oldest written reference to tea is from the year 59 BC. https://phys.org/news/2016-01-world-oldest-tea-chinese-emperor.html#jCp
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2016/5/archaeologists-discover-oldest-tea-leaves-in-china-after-2-100-years-428858
