Plain of Jars, Laos（老撾石缸陣）

Plain of Jars, Laos [File photo]

The Plain of Jars is a famous megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. There are thousands of megalithic jars scattered across the Xieng Khouang plateau, Xieng Khouang Province. All differently shaped, the jars appear in clusters, ranging from a single or a few to several hundreds of them. The jars are made from granite, weighing 1 to 5 tons.

The great numbers of stone jars have been located on the isolated plateau since the Iron Age (500 B.C. to A.D. 500). Where did they come from? What were they used for? Some people think they are actually coffins for honored soldiers, others hold they were simply wine vessels or water pots; yet no one can confirm their real purpose. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.