News Archaeology

A ‘jar’ jammed with human bones may solve Laos’ ‘Plain of Jars’ mystery

The stone vessel held remains of at least 37 ancient people, suggesting a burial ritual

Skulls and other bones are visible within a circle of massive stone at a site in Laos that is being excavated. You can see a researcher and some excavation tools around the wooded site.

The remains of at least 37 people who died from the 9th to 13th centuries were found in this stone vessel in northeastern Laos.

Nicholas Skopal

By Tom Metcalfe

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of at least 37 people in a large stone “jar” in northern Laos. The oldest are thought to date from more than 1,000 years ago, and researchers think the jar —a stone vessel more than two meters across — was a “multigenerational” burial site for ancestor worship.