Remains of 37 People Discovered in Giant Stone Jar in Xieng Khouang
A new excavation on Laos’ mysterious Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang has uncovered the densely packed bones of at least 37 people inside a single giant stone jar, offering the clearest evidence yet of how these ancient monuments were used.
Dr. Nicholas Skopal of James Cook University, Australia, in collaboration with Souilya Bounxayhip from the Lao Department of Heritage, led the discovery, which was first published in the journal Antiquity on 17 May. Researchers describe it as one of the most consequential findings in nearly a century of investigation into the site.
The jar, located northeast of Phonsavan in Xieng Khouang Province, stands 1.3 metres high and over 2 metres wide.
Inside, bones from at least 37 individuals were found, including femurs and skulls from 19 people, neatly arranged with longer bones toward the edges. Radiocarbon dating indicates the jar was used between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, supporting a medieval secondary interment practice rather than the previously assumed Iron Age cremations.
Researchers also uncovered glass beads in nearby smaller jars, chemically traced to South India and Mesopotamia, suggesting that the communities on the highlands of Laos were linked to long-distance trade networks across Asia.
Dr. Skopal noted that “the number of individuals suggests the jars were owned by family or extended family groups. They likely served as places where ancestral rites were performed over generations.”
DNA testing is now underway to explore familial links among the remains and gain further insights into the identities and connections of these ancient communities.
