What's happened
Archaeologists have found jars on the Plain of Jars in Laos containing densely packed remains of at least 37 people across a span of centuries, pointing to multigenerational mortuary practices and long-range trade links. New dating and analyses suggest secondary internment and family or community rites, upending earlier ideas about Iron Age Southeast Asia.
What's behind the headline?
Brief
- Multigenerational internment is supported by a dense concentration of bones inside Jar 1.
- The jar is part of a broader Plain of Jars landscape, hinting at ritual landscapes beyond a single tomb.
- Trade links emerge from artefacts like glass beads made in South India and Mesopotamia.
What this means
- Mortuary practices in early Southeast Asia were organized and transregional, revealing social complexity.
- The findings help reframe regional chronology, challenging older Iron Age timelines.
Unanswered questions
- How were families organized around these rites across generations?
- What does this imply about the movement of people and goods in the Plain of Jars region?
How we got here
Findings come from excavations on the Plain of Jars, where a jar measured over a meter high. Analyses of bone arrangement, artefacts, and trade goods indicate complex mortuary practices and connections with South India and Mesopotamia, reflecting broader regional exchange.
Our analysis
The New York Times reports on Jar 1 as a multigenerational crypt with at least 37 remains. The Independent covers the broader implications with archaeologist Nicholas Skopal. The Antiquity study underpins the dating and interpretation. NY Post provides supplementary context on artifacts and regional links.
Go deeper
- What does this say about long-distance trade in ancient Asia?
- Could these jars be found at other sites with similar mortuary use?
- How will this change current Southeast Asian archaeology timelines?
More on these topics
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Laos - Country in Asia
Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is the only landlocked country of the Indochinese peninsula and Southeast Asia. Clockwise from North, Laos is bordered China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.