THE PLAIN OF JARS
Located in the Lao Highlands the Xieng Khouang area is at the centre of a remarkable archaeological site known as the Plain of Jars. Scattered across this region are thousands of stone jars that scientists have estimated date from approximately 2000 years ago. They range in size from quite small to enormous with the largest weighing up to 14 tonnes. Very little is known about the makers and scientific attempts visit the site and conduct excavations are severely hampered by the vast number of unexploded bombs that litter the sites. These munitions are the remnants of the Secret War when the USA carried out one of the most intensive bombing campaigns in all history.
The largest of Jars is located at Site One. It is approximately 12 ft high and weighs an estimated 14 tonnes.
It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 unexploded devices in the immediate region making this one of the most hazardous archaeological sites in the world. Unraveling the true history and origin of the jars is further complicated by the fact that the 1969 bombing campaign effectively wiped the place off the map and scattered the original inhabitants far and wide. There are many theories as to why the Jars were created. Some believe that they were funerary urns for human ashes while others believe they were designed to store rainwater from the monsoons. This does make a certain amount of sense as they are located exactly on one of the ancient trade routes from Northern India. At times they have certainly had a religious significance as limited excavations have revealed that some contained statues of Buddha as well as other offerings such as beads and bronze tools. What is often overlooked is that these jars would have required vast human effort to create, perhaps even on the same scale as Stonehenge, and would have been done for a reason of great significance. For now, their existence is just another ancient mystery that defies immediate explanation.