Ancient Burial Practices Emerge From Laos' Mysterious Plain of Jars
Archaeologists say the jar held secondary burials from at least 37 people and artifacts that point to repeated ancestral rites over centuries.
- Researchers published findings on Tuesday in the journal Antiquity describing a large stone 'death jar' excavated at Site 75 in Laos, containing the remains of at least 37 individuals.
- For nearly 100 years, the thousands of massive stone vessels scattered across the Xieng Khouang Plateau remained an archaeological mystery, but this study provides the first irrefutable evidence confirming the Plain of Jars functioned as a mortuary complex.
- Radiocarbon dating reveals remains were deposited between 890 and 1160 AD, supporting a 'secondary burial' practice where decomposed bodies from smaller jars were reinterred in the large vessel over roughly 270 years.
- Excavators recovered glass beads originating from South India and Mesopotamia, demonstrating that ancient Laotian communities were globally well-connected and actively engaged in regional trade networks during the medieval period.
- Future bioanthropological and ancient DNA studies aim to determine ancestry and health of the individuals, helping researchers understand the specific people behind these megalithic monuments and their broader significance in Southeast Asia.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Giant Stone Jar in Laos Held Remains of 37 People in Ancient Collective Burial
Aerial photograph of bones within the jar. Credit: Nicholas Skopal / CC BY 4.0 A large ancient stone jar at a burial site in Laos held the skeletal remains of at least 37 people, ranging from infants to adults, and was likely used as a collective tomb for generations, a new study has found. Researchers say the discovery sheds significant light on one of Southeast Asia’s longest-standing archaeological mysteries. The study, led by Nicholas Skopal…
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PressNewsAgencyArchaeology breakthrough: One of Asia’s most puzzling ancient landscapes may have finally been solved
Scientists working in Laos may have just solved one of the longest-running mysteries in Asian archaeology.For decades, the Plain of Jars in Xiangkhoang Province has baffled researchers who have tried to work out the purpose of the site. The site consists of giant stone containers scattered across the uplands of northern Laos, with some weighing several tonnes. Now, a new study has found the remains of at least 37 people inside a massive stone ja…
Ancient Stone Jar in Laos May Help Settle Mystery
Archaeologists working in the famed Plain of Jars in Laos appear to have resolved a mystery regarding the purpose of the sandstone vessels. A newly excavated "jar" held the remains of at least 37 people, and the bones were placed inside over a span of roughly 270 years starting in...
The multi-ton vessels served funerary purposes, but it is not yet known how they were made.
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