Historical Development and Cultural Value of Traditional Chinese Tea-Making Techniques and Related Customs from an Agricultural Archaeological Perspective

This study adopts an agricultural archaeology perspective, integrating excavated remains, artifact genealogies, and pictorial materials to conduct a systematic investigation into the origins, evolution, and cultural significance of traditional Chinese tea-making techniques.By examining tea plant genetic remains dating back 6,000 years, tea-processing tools from the Western Han to Tang-Song periods, Ming-Qing purple clay tea ware, and representative tea paintings from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, this study analyzes the historical development of tea-making techniques, revealing their continuous evolution from the nascent stages of consumption to systematic development.The research demonstrates that archaeological evidence not only provides a solid foundation for chronological progression and technical analysis of traditional Chinese tea-making techniques and related customs, but also reflects the interactive relationship between technological innovation, the dissemination of tea customs, and social structures. Furthermore, archaeological material from Liao Dynasty tombs, Tibetan burial sites, and overseas shipwrecks indicates that tea customs exhibit remarkable cultural adaptability and influence in cross-regional exchanges and global dissemination.This paper argues that agricultural archaeology not only provides material evidence and methodological frameworks for studying traditional crafts but also offers new academic perspectives for understanding the diverse values of Chinese tea culture across temporal and spatial dimensions.