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Tea field, China(Photo: S. Turga, AdobeStock)
Archaeologists have identified what they believe is the earliest archaeological evidence of the consumption of tea: plant remains in two tombs excavated in Tibet and Chang’an, today called Xi’an, a city that marks the beginning of the Silk Road in northern China. The finds contain traces of caffeine and theanine—substances particularly characteristic of tea. The tombs are more than 2,000 years old, indicating the beverage was consumed during
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