37 Sets of Remains in One Jar Solve Laos Burial Mystery
Archaeologists say the jar held bones from at least 37 people, and radiocarbon dating shows repeated use over about 270 years.
- 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.
24 Articles
24 Articles
A Discovered Trove of Bones and Teeth Yields New Clues to the Century-Old Mystery of 'Death Jars' in Laos
Scientists found bones of 37 people inside a giant stone jar at one of Southeast Asia’s most puzzling archaeological sites. The find suggests a multigenerational burial practice
Human Remains Found on the Plain of Jars in Laos - Archaeology Magazine
Glass beads NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA—The disarticulated remains of multiple generations of people and imported glass beads have been discovered in a large jar at Site 75 on the Plain of Jars in northern Laos, Live Science reports. More than 2,000 stone jars ranging in size from about three to 10 feet tall have been found on the Plain of Jars. It has long been thought that these jars could have been used for burials. Nicholas Skopal of James C…
Bones Of 37 People Found In A Giant Stone Jar Points To A Mysterious Burial Ritual In The Jungle
"The repeated use of the jar, combined with the associated offerings such as beads, pottery, and metal objects, suggests these were important ceremonial spaces tied to memory, identity, and ancestral ritual."
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