Venue: Xieng Khouang province
Megalithic Jar Sites in Xieng Khouang – Plain of Jars was recognized as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2019.
Located on a plateau in central Laos, the Plain of Jars, gets its name from more than 2,100 tubular-shaped megalithic stone jars used for funerary practices in the Iron Age. This serial property of 15 components contains large carved stone jars, stone discs, secondary burials, tombstones, quarries and funerary objects dating from 500 BCE to 500 CE. The jars and associated elements are the most prominent evidence of the Iron Age civilization that made and used them until it disappeared, around 500 CE.
One of the most unique prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia, the civilisation that was responsible for the Plain of Jars remains a mystery among locals and archaeologists. The jars were carved from both sandstone and granite. The tallest jar is about 3.5 metres high and some of them are thought to be over 2,000 years old.
The Plain of Jars has over 90 sites with thousands of stone jars in various sizes, each archaeological site has 1 to 400 stone jars. Among them, the most prominent is Site #1, which located 15 km southwest of Phonsavan. There are about 300 jars, including the plain’s biggest jar, and has a natural limestone formation that was used as a crematorium. Sites #2 and #3 are located on hilltops, offering views of farmlands and villages.
