The largest jug in the world. The Valley of Jugs is a prehistoric pottery workshop of giants. Laos. Jugs as water reservoirs

The Valley of Jugs is a group of unique sites that contain unusual historical and archaeological monuments - huge stone jugs. These are located mysterious objects in Xiang Khouang Province, Laos.

The Valley of the Jars is home to thousands of large stone pots scattered at the foot of the Annam Range, which separates Laos and Vietnam. The size of the jugs ranges from 0.5 to 3 meters, and the weight of the largest reaches 6 thousand kg. Most giant stone pots are cylindrical in shape, but oval and rectangular jars are also found.

Many vessels stand upright, some are tumbled on their sides. Next to the “jugs” themselves you can sometimes find stone disks, which, apparently, were used as lids. These pots are made from granite, sandstone, rock and calcined coral. Scientists suggest that the age of the stone bowls is supposed to be 1,500 - 2,000 years.

The territory of the valley includes more than 60 sites on which groups of gigantic vessels are located. All the sites are stretched along one line, which may be evidence that there used to be an ancient trade route here, which was served by sites with jugs. The largest number of jars is concentrated in the city of Phonsavan; this place is called the First Site, on which there are about 250 vessels of various sizes.

The first researcher who worked here in order to find out historical facts was Madeleine Colani. In the 30s of the last century, a French woman described most of the sites, and also discovered a nearby cave with burials and various remains of funeral rituals. After it, until recently, no one conducted detailed studies in the valley. Now the main expert on this topic is the Belgian Julia Van den Berg.

Exists great amount theories and assumptions regarding who and for what purposes such unique vessels were created. According to scientists, these jugs were used by the ancient people living in southeast Asia, whose culture and customs still remain unknown.

Historians and anthropologists speculate that the huge jars may have been funerary urns and were used in funeral rituals. However, no remains or grave goods were found at the sites. All this was discovered separately at some distance.

There is a version that the pots were used to collect and store rainwater. Despite the fact that no settlements have yet been discovered in the immediate vicinity, this theory seems more plausible. The fact is that the platforms with jugs are not located concentrically, but are built in one straight line, that is, quite possibly, along some path. Here caravans could rest and stock up on water for further movement.

Laotian legends tell that giants once lived in the valley, and the jugs belonged to them.

Well, the version of local residents says that rice wine was made and stored in megalithic jugs. No matter how many versions and theories are put forward, the Valley of the Jugs undoubtedly remains an unsolved mystery.

Laotian authorities during recent years are fighting to include the famous Valley of Jugs on the list World Heritage UNESCO. The main reason why it has not yet been given this status is the consequences of the heavy bombing by the US Air Force that the valley area was subjected to. One of the main criteria for accepting an object into the list is clearing the area from shells, so this work is now being carried out quite actively. Three main sites have already been cleared. They are open to tourists and archaeologists.

There is a place in Laos called the Valley of the Jars. The name of the area was not given by chance. There are hundreds of stone…not stupas, not pools, not cisterns, but capacious (for the most part) containers.

It would seem that what could be simpler than a stone container? Take a boulder, hollow out a cavity inside - and use it! But if the product is complex in shape, equipped with a lid like a saucepan, dug into the ground and has cyclopean dimensions - what is it? How was it used? Who needed it? When was it created?

There are no clear answers to these questions. Due to the impossibility of conducting full-scale archaeological excavations, the decision historical problem postponed for an indefinite future.

War was raging in the Valley of Jugs...

Half a century ago, America fought with Vietnam, and Laos also suffered. The Laotian province bordering Vietnam, in which the Valley of the Jars is located, was subjected to massive bombing. Some of the dropped charges were mines that were armed when entering the ground. There are many unexploded aerial bombs and forgotten artillery shells in the valley.

That is why archaeological research - and at the same time any tourist activities - are prohibited in the Valley of Jugs, and access to dangerous areas is closed. Meanwhile, stone containers with a similar structure, found here, as well as in Thailand and India, are very unusual and interesting.

In some places the ban is not particularly strict, and you can see the legendary jugs!

Legends of the Valley of Jugs

The most poetic story seems to be that of the Miao people. It’s as if giants lived in these places several thousand years ago, and they went to the Valley of Jugs to dine. They were served food in large stone vessels; smaller containers were used as glasses.

Those who do not believe in giants talk about caravans wandering around South-East Asia and those in need of long-term storage of food supplies and water. It’s as if these caravan workers chiseled both containers and lids out of stone - and used them for centuries.

Adherents of funeral ritual traditions (they consider any found artifact as an object of worship) talk about the use of stone jars as either sarcophagi, or tombs, or containers for storing the ashes of rulers laid to rest by fire.

Tourists most like the version that tells about King Khung Trung, who decided to celebrate the victory in the next civil strife with a copious libation. Taking into account the large number of troops and the weak intoxicating ability of rice and millet mash, a lot of containers for preparing drinks were required!

True, in this case a huge army of stonemasons would have to sit down to chisel the stone. Where can you get so many qualified personnel and suitable tools? After all, iron was almost unknown at that time...

Local residents simplified the legend to a mere taboo. They say that evil caught among people was placed in jugs under heavy lids. Languishing in the trap, it was slowly absorbed into the stone. Therefore, children are not only prohibited from getting inside, but even touching the stone jugs!

A particularly exotic theory talks about placing stone jugs (or under their bottoms) and other treasures in the bodies.

The mysterious age of finds in the Valley of Jugs

Opinions vary regarding the moment when jugs are born. Most archaeologists are inclined to date the “ware” to the first millennium BC. Judging by the rate of erosion of the stone, the earliest stone jars saw the light of day in 800 BC; the latest - around the year 500.

But who could spend three hundred years hewing and gouging out hundreds and hundreds of boulders, some of which weighed a good ten tons? And if unknown craftsmen made some kind of utilitarian containers, why did they often leave too thick a layer of stone? Excessively thick walls reduce the capacity of the vessel...

Anthropological finds also support the hypothesis about the ancient origin of stone jugs. Australian specialists working in the demined area of the Valley of Jugs discovered human remains. Radiocarbon dating gave the exact age of the bones - 2500 years.

Is the Valley of Jugs an ancient cemetery?

According to Australian scientists, the proximity of bones and jars is no coincidence. The bodies of the dead were placed several at a time in stone containers with lids. Rotting of tissues occurs with the release of heat; elevated temperatures accelerate the process of decomposition of the body. After a year or a year and a half, it was possible to remove clean bones from the jug and bury them separately, in a specially designated place.

The pits filled with bones were covered with a massive gravestone, and the dead were not disturbed. While bones were being accumulated to fill the new pit, the remains were kept in one of the stone or ceramic jars.

However, simple calculations give stunning results that have little connection with reality. In the Valley of Jugs alone there are more than a thousand vessels of various sizes. Considering the “productivity” of the jars as sarcophagi, it should be assumed that this burial enterprise served a multimillion-dollar city. There are no traces of existence at all large settlement There are no jars near the Valley of Jugs!

Then the Valley of Jars is a warehouse?

Opponents of the funerary theory suggested that the stone jars, concentrated in relatively large groups, served as some kind of “bins of the homeland.” Indeed, grain in unsealed stone containers can be stored for a long time - if there is a way to protect the reserves from condensation moisture.

There is no need to talk about storing water or wine in vessels. The warm climate of Laos will not allow the liquid to be preserved in a usable form.

History of exploration of the Valley of Jugs

The discovery of the Valley of Jars was made by an official of the French administration of Laos in 1903. Fragmentary information about the outlandish find did not particularly excite the scientific community of Europe, and the first researcher, archaeologist Henri Parmentier, arrived in the Valley of Jugs only in 1923.

Having found Bronze Age artifacts and fragments of human bones in and around the jars, Parmentier lost interest in the Valley and went home. Madeleine Colani, who replaced her compatriot in the scientific post, worked with great zeal.

Having suggested the existence of a forgotten civilization in these places, Madeleine released a two-volume review of her findings. The archaeological community got acquainted with the published materials, did not see a sensation in them - and the book was no longer reprinted, nor was it translated into other languages.

The resumption of research occurred at the very end of the twentieth century. The Japanese Nitta and the Laotian Tong-Sa found several burials in the Valley of Jars, and decorative images were found on one of the stone vessels.

In total, in the 115 years since the discovery of the Valley of Jugs, not a single mystery of the origin and use of stone containers has been solved, and the hypotheses expressed have remained unproven and unrefuted.

What is known about the stone containers from the Valley of Jugs?

The shapes of the jugs are very different. Products of cylindrical shape predominate. There are many jugs made with a cone. There are containers of almost regular geometry - prisms, pyramids with rounded ribs. Many vessels are made like real jugs - with a raised and narrowed neck.

The height of stone products ranges from 30 cm to 3.5 m. The largest jug weighs about 10 tons. The mass of most large jugs fits into two tons.

A number of stone lids have been preserved for stone jugs. There is every reason to believe that previously each vessel was equipped with an individual lid. However, people directed most of them to perform more pressing tasks.

Some of the surviving lids are simple disks carved from stone. Some are real works of art, decorated with stylized carved images of people and animals.

The material for the jugs and lids was local natural stone. Here is a quote from a laboratory study report on a group of mason jars: “Both the untreated and polished containers are made of , . Some of the vessels have several varieties of wall structure rocks».

In this case, we are talking about natural fusion, and not an artificial connection of different types of rocks. In addition, the examination refuted the working hypothesis about the possible production of jugs from artificial stone (concrete). The presence of artifacts (stone, bronze, iron plates) near the jars that could qualify as tools speaks in favor of the stonemason hypothesis of the origin of the vessels.

Is it true, local residents acquainted researchers with oral (and completely false) legends that reported the preparation of a plastic mass from boiled collagen, sugar syrup, and mineral fillers.

There is no more reliable information about stone jugs.

Valley of the Jugs: an equation of only variables

Future researchers of the Valley of Jars are faced with the following tasks:

find out who made hundreds of stone jars and why;
lost covers (at least some);
clarify the dating of the manufacture of each of the stone jugs;
understand the technology of manufacturing massive vessels;
find quarries and develop technology for transporting raw material blocks to the place where jugs are made.

It is possible that seekers of truth will be able to find unnoticed characteristics of stone jars. New information will certainly provide clues to the mystery of the existence of megalithic vessels in the Valley of Jugs.

Once again, extending our Thai visa, we decided to combine business with pleasure and visit even more outlandish and historical places in Laos.

One of these places is the city Phonsavan, aka Phonsavan, aka Phonsavan.

Our route passed through the cities: Luang Prabang - Phonsavan - Vang Vieng - Vientiane - 10 days ()

Travel time: May 2017

Travel duration: 3d/2n

How to get there: we traveled by bus from Luang Prabang - 95,000 LAK / person = 11 USD, 7-8 hours drive, you can also get there from Vientiane and Vang Vieng.

Visa to Laos: When visiting Laos for up to 15 days, Russian citizens do not require a visa.

Currency: 10000 LAK (Laotian kip) = 1USD, there are ATMs - withdrawal fee, depending on the bank - 20,000 LAK or 3% of the amount.

Our route around Phonsavan: Ban Napia War village, Plain of Jars site 3, Russian tank, Plain of Jars site 2, Plain of Jars site 1 Jars site 1), Old capital - Muang Khoun.

General information:

Phonsavan is located in the northeast of Laos and is the capital of Xiang Khouang province. It was built in the late 1970s, and replaced the old capital of Muang Khaung, which was destroyed during the Secret War (the Laotian Civil War of 1960-1973, fought between the country's government, which had the support of the United States and South Vietnam, and the Pathet Lao guerrillas who received assistance from North Vietnam and the USSR). More on this a little later.

Map

We went to Phonsavan by bus for (95000LAK/person = 11USD) from Luang Prabang. You can also go from Lung Prabang by minibus (it goes 1 hour faster), but we still preferred the bus. And we were convinced of our correct decision in the morning at the station, when the bus we were supposed to take had lying-down seats, although we bought tickets for a seated bus. As it turned out, this is a kind of bonus, because usually the buses are really seated.

So, the drive took about 7 hours. The road passes through the most beautiful mountain serpentines, With incredible amount turns.

At the Phonsavan station, a group of 7 people, we immediately got into a minibus taxi (10000LAK/person = 1 USD) and went to the hotels.

We planned to stay in Phonsavan for 2 days. The cost of our guesthouse was 120000LAK – 14 USD for two. You can easily book a guest house/hotel for yourself from the Booking.COM website, but keep in mind that hotels in Phonsavan do not have air conditioning. Yes, they are not needed at all, we spent the night with the window open and it was not even very hot. We recommend choosing hotels on the main street.

In general, I must say that it is quite cool here, especially in the morning and evening. In the afternoon after 12 it more or less warms up, so take sweaters with you. We went in May during the rainy season, but we were lucky and there was no rain and it was dry.

Upon arrival, we decided not to waste time and walk around the center of Phonsavan. It consists of one street along which the city center stretches along, so to speak. Here you will find cafes, hotels, motorbike rentals, travel agencies with excursions, and small shops. There are also ATMs.

The resourcefulness of the local population also attracts attention. At the entrances to cafes, and even in travel agencies, you can often see bomb casings and other remains of war relics. They also use all this in elements of fences, make interior decorations, flower vases, cutlery, and all sorts of things for the household in general.

On this moment Phonsavan, roughly speaking, is divided into 2 halves - the center and new town which is actively under construction. A huge number of areas are filled and concreted.

Regarding excursions

Local travel agencies offer a range of excursions at once. These can be: 3 places with jars (Jars of site 1, 2,3) + Bomb craters + War village + Old capital + Hot springs (Small Hot spring, Big hot spring ) – in terms of time, this entire complex is designed for 1 day. 200000 LAK = 24 USD/per person. But since we didn’t want to visit all these places, and it was impossible to refuse additional attractions, we decided to rent a motorbike 70000 LAK = 8 USD/day and on the map in the MAPS ME application for Android and MAPS ME for iPhone (a very useful navigation application that has free cards and almost all outlandish places, even offline) to travel around all the places that interest us.

A little history

During the Secret War, the United States launched a massive bombing campaign against Laos. The territory of Phonsavan is one of the most affected by these “bombs”. Bombs were dropped on Laos for two reasons: 1) In the eastern side of the country, through the mountains, just near Phonsavan, Laos took part in the so-called “Ho Chi Minh Trail”, where along this trail during the Vietnam War Northern Vietnam transported troops and artillery to South Vietnam. 2) In some cases, due to bad weather conditions or due to other circumstances, the American Air Force, flying from Thai air bases, could not drop bombs on the “primary target”, and for a safe landing they were forced to drop bombs on Laotian territory.

The purpose of our visit to Phonsavan was to visit the legendary Valley of Jars, and with it places with echoes of war - Bomb craters and a village “with traces of war” (War village). The Valley of Jars is generally a group of sites (Plains of jars site 1,2,3...), where there are thousands of large stone pots. The pots range in size from half to three meters and are believed to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old. Since not all of the Valley of Jars has been cleared of mines at the moment, only a limited number of sites are open to the public. For the same reason, scientists and archaeologists still cannot give an exact answer as to why and who needed these jugs; archaeological research is difficult even now due to incomplete demining.

There are several legends of origin. The most common is that jars were associated with prehistoric burial practices. French scientist, geologist and amateur archaeologist Madeleine Colan excavated in the 1930s and found material to support the cremation theory. Colored glass beads, burnt teeth and bone fragments from more than one person were found inside some of the jars. Around the stone vessels, she discovered human bones, fragments of ceramics, iron and bronze objects. In 1935, Kolan concluded that the Valley of Jars was nothing more than an Iron Age burial ground. Other scientists who excavated the Valleys of Jars also do not rule out the fact that the jars were used to store food, various substances, as well as rainwater, to supply trade caravans.

Our route

Our route was as follows, we decided to start from the farthest attraction and the remaining points along the road: Ban Napia War village, Valley of Jars site No. 3, Russian tank, Valley of Jugs site No. 2 (Plain of Jars site 2), Valley of Jars site No. 1 (Plain of Jars site 1), Old capital Muang Khoun. On this trip it took us about 5 hours.

Map

A - Military village (Ban Napia War village, coordinates 19.279983, 103.099809)

B - Valley of Jars Site No. 3 (Plain of Jars Site 3, coordinates 19.298778, 103.147874)

WITH - Russian tank (Russian tank, coordinates 19.325994, 103.142724)

D - Valley of Jars Site No. 2 (Plain of Jars Site 2, coordinates 19.319349, 103.153728)

E - Valley of Jars Site No. 1 (Plain of Jars Site 1, coordinates 19.430427, 103.155120)

F - Old capital Muang Khoun (Old capital - Muang Khoun, coordinates 19.326312, 103.374717)

G - Phonsavan (Phonsavan, coordinates 19.452173, 103.186220)

Military village(Ban Napia War village)

The military village (Ban Napia War village) is our first place on the map. The path there initially ran along the highway, after which there was an exit onto a dirt road along the villages. There is also a sign for "War village".

What is it like? Admission is, of course, free; at the entrance to the village there is a meltdown of unexploded bombs in homemade furnaces. Locals also sell souvenirs here, from metal badges to cutlery.

Throughout the village as a whole you can see fences made from bombs and all sorts of crafts in the courtyards of houses.

There was also a museum of shells left over from the Secret War. But by the time we arrived, it had apparently already stopped working, since the sign was hanging, and the building itself was abandoned. After inspection we moved on.

Valley of Jugs site No. 3 (Jars of site 3)

So, the long-awaited Valley of Jugs. At the entrance to the “Valley” there is a ticket office, the cost of entry is symbolic - 10000 LAK – 1 USD/per person. Along the path to the “Jugs” there are rice seedlings, water meadows and here and there herds of cows. Also along the way you will be able to see concrete signs with the inscription “M.A.G” (Mine Advisory Group of America). If these signs are there, there is nothing to be afraid of - there are no mines nearby.

Jugs. The site itself is not equipped, it is only slightly fenced off from cattle, although the cattle, namely the cows, did not need this fence. There are about 40-50 jugs themselves on this site (Jars of site 3), and they are all really different. They are cylindrical in shape, but differ in appearance from each other, their size varies from 0.5 to - 3 meters. Somewhere the jugs are broken, somewhere they lie. In general, a person can fit into some jugs at full height. Mysterious and unusual.

We spent about 30 minutes exploring and moved on.

Russian tank

On the road from the area with jugs No. 3 to the area with jugs No. 2 there is a tank from the time of that very Secret War. On the map it is marked close to the main road, but it is not visible from the road itself - you need to go down on foot. The territory is fenced, again, with a symbolic fence, in which the gate is always open. And here is the tank itself. It lies upside down, the body is separate from the turret. The most surprising thing is that in such a poor area these remains of the tank were still preserved, and in fairly good condition. The only thing was that the tracks on the hull were missing. Well done Laotians! - in a word.

I would like to note that the roads here are in fairly good condition and it’s quite comfortable to ride a bike while admiring the local nature.

Valley jugsNo. 2 (Jars of site 2)

The cash register, the cafe, the M.A.G. demining sign, and the whole situation in the area is generally the same as at the 3rd site. Passage cost 10000 LAK = 1 USD/per person. In general, I think that when the person at the cash register ends his working day, you can go here without a ticket, since the places are not guarded by absolutely anyone.

The jars themselves on this site are located in two places, and there are no longer those same seedlings with rice and other rural activities. More and more outlandish. There are 2 staircases leading to the jugs. The first one is on the left and goes into the forest. The nature in the forest is untouched and pure. The view is mesmerizing.

And the jugs here and there are of different sizes and in different positions. But if you choose from site No. 3 and site No. 2, No. 2 is more picturesque than No. 3. Especially in combination with the surrounding nature, fleetingly reminiscent of the nature of central Russia - fields, pine edges, and water meadows.

Having examined everything, we moved to the next point.

Valley jugs№1 (Jars of site 1)

This site is the closest to the city and therefore the most popular. Here the entrance is ennobled and parking is paid. In the main building, where the ticket office is, there is a small museum. Opening hours: 9:00 – 17:00. Entrance fee – 15000 LAK = 2 USD/per person.

Drive a little ahead and leave the bike in the parking lot - 3000 LAK.

The territory, with an area of 25 hectares, is the most landscaped. There are approximately 330 vessels here.

You can also see bombing craters, although now they are almost overgrown. But in some places they are marked with signs.

There is also a small cave here, which served as a refuge for local residents during American bombings.

The drive from the site with jugs No. 1 is approximately 30 km. Along the way, the natural landscape rapidly changes - from water meadows there is a sharp transition to mountain ranges. Beautiful and impressive.

Old capital Muang Khaun(Old capital - Muang Khoun)

The town of Muang Khoun, also known as the old capital of Xiang Khouang province, is also the capital of the medieval state of Phuan. There were a huge number of wars here, but this city could not “endure” the Secret War - during the bombing, what remained of the city were 2 dilapidated stupas of the 15-16 centuries, That Foun and That Chomphet, and the Wat Pia Wat temple. Entrance fee to all three monuments 10000 LAK = 1 USD/per person.

Wat Pia Wat was built in 1372. and was the local center of Buddhism. Today, all that remains of the temple are ruins, and, of course, a statue of Buddha.

The stupas of That Foun and That Chomphet are almost completely overgrown.

Also 6 km from Muang Khoun town there is famous cave Tham Piu Cave. During the Secret War, 374 people took refuge in this cave and, unfortunately, all died. We never got to this cave, which we really regret. If you want, go, it’s not so far.

After all this activity, we headed back to Phonsavan to drop off the bike and have dinner.

Where to eat?

There is a wonderful cafe Simmalay in the city center; it is also on the map in MAPS.me.

Map

The locals cook Laotian cuisine, which is very tasty and served in large portions. You can have both breakfast and dinner; huge baguettes are served for breakfast. Second courses cost the maximum here 25000 LAK = 3 USD. What we ordered did not exceed 15000 LAK = 1 USD. As a result, the check usually came out 45000 LAK = 5 USD.

Also, as a sign of respect, they serve aromatic Laotian tea at the establishment’s expense.

Main courses part 1

Main courses part 2

Bus prices from Phonsavan

Tickets are sold at any travel agency; as a rule, the price includes a transfer from the hotel to the bus station.

Cost of travel for 3 days to Phonsavan from Luang Prabang - 50 USD per person

Bus: Luang Prabang - Phonsavan - Vang Vieng 95000LAK=11USD x 2 = 22USD
A bike rental: 70000LAK = 8USD
Excursions:
Valley of the Jugs Site 1- 15000LAK = 2USD
Valley of the Jugs Site 2- 10000LAK = 1USD
Valley of the Jugs Site 3- 10000LAK = 1USD
Old capital Muang Khaun(Old capital - Muang Khoun)- 10000LAK = 1USD x 2 = 2USD
Accommodation:
Guesthouse- 120000LAK = 14USD

Conclusion

It must be said that Laos is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that is extremely diverse. There may not be a sea coast here, but the individuality of each city compensates for this. Phonsavan is no exception. Rich story, mysterious sights and a changing landscape - it’s amazing how all this can be located in such a small town. If you are interested in the history of the World Heritage and visiting various unknown places, then this trip is for you. We love all kinds of outbacks of this kind, so this trip left us with only vivid impressions.

At the foot of the Annam Range separating Vietnam and Laos there is an unusual area - the Valley of the Jars. This name is not at all accidental and is due to the fact that on the 60 sites located here there are unique historical and archaeological monuments - giant stone jugs, the age of which, according to scientists, is approximately 1500-2000 years.

The strange area, completely covered with huge jugs, is mostly located in Xiang Khouang province. The same sites can be seen in northern India and Thailand. Mysterious jugs have a round or rectangular shape and are made of different materials - granite, rock, calcined coral or sandstone. The size of the jugs randomly scattered throughout the valley can range from one to three meters. Next to them there are also stone disks, which are considered to be the lids of these unusual containers.

That the exact origin and purpose of so many giant stone jars still remains unknown. Scientists believe that mysterious jugs belong to unknown ancient people, who lived in Southeast Asia about two thousand years ago. According to historians and anthropologists, these jars could have been funeral urns, or were used to store rainwater. Despite numerous theories about the origin of giant stone jugs, they all remain unproven.

Some Laotian legends say that giants once lived in the Valley of Jars. Others tell of King Khung Trung's victory over his enemies, after which he gave the order to prepare large quantities of rice wine for the celebration.

In the 1970s, the US Air Force carried out massive bombing in Xiang Khouang province, so much of the Valley of Jars is closed due to unexploded shells from that time. Only three sites are now open to tourists. The most big number stone jugs, 250 pots, is located at the First Site, which is located near the city of Phonsavan.

Located in Laos, the Valley of Jars is to this day an unsolved monument to the mysterious ancient civilization. The Laotian authorities believe that this unique area is worthy of inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, the large number of shells remaining after the war prevents full-scale research and the development of tourism in this region.

The Valley of Jars is an unsolved landmark of Laos. Thousands of giant megalithic vessels are scattered across mountain valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of the Xiangkhoang plateau in the main mountain range Indochina. The shape of the vessels is more like jugs, hence the name. Their sizes are amazing - up to 3 meters in height, and up to 6 tons in weight.

Where is the Valley of Jars?

The valley is located in Xieng Khouang province in the northern part of the country near the city of Phonsavan.

Geographic coordinates 19.431047, 103.152298

general description

The valley has several isolated areas with vessels. There are more than 90 such sites in total. They have their own numbers. And on each of them there are from one to 392 stone jugs. Their height varies from 1 to 3 meters. All of them are carved from stone.

Jugs have a cylindrical shape, and the lower part is always wider than the upper. The vessels do not have bas-reliefs or drawings, except for one jug on the main platform, number 1. The silhouette of a man with raised hands and bent knees is engraved on the outside of it.

By the way, similar images are found in rock paintings in the Guangxi Mountains (China) and date back to the 5th-2nd centuries BC.

Research, theories and legends of giant jars

According to scientists, the age of the jugs is approximately 1500 to 2500 years.

Since many jugs have a certain seat, it is believed that they were originally covered with lids. Several flat stone caps have been found in the surrounding area. But it is assumed that the lids themselves were made of a material more susceptible to destruction than the jugs. Therefore, there are much fewer lids than vessels. The lids found contained bas-reliefs with images of tigers, frogs and monkeys.

One of the few surviving lids

Stone disks that differ from lids have also been found. Perhaps they were markers of burial sites.

It is worth noting that five types of rocks were found in the surrounding area: sandstone, granite, conglomerate, limestone and breccia. Most jugs are made of sandstone. It is believed that ancient craftsmen used iron chisels to make these vessels, but there is no conclusive evidence for this.

Archaeologists offer us several hypotheses about the origin of the jugs.

Jugs as a burial place

According to one version, the vessels are a kind of urns for burial or cremation.

In 1930, French researcher Madeleine Colani suggested that the jars were associated with prehistoric burial methods. Perhaps the cremation of bodies took place in them, followed by burial of the remains in a separate place.

In particular, she found a cave in the area of site No. 1, which has a limestone formation. In its northwestern part there is a natural hole, and at the top there are two artificial ones. Colani considered these openings to be chimneys for the crematorium. She also found materials in the cave to support the cremation theory. Colored glass beads, burnt teeth and bone fragments were found in some of the jars. Human bones, fragments of pottery, iron and bronze objects and remains of charcoal were also found in the area. Bones and teeth inside the vessels indirectly prove cremation.

Research by Laotian and Japanese archaeologists also partially confirmed Kolani's theory.

Incidentally, similar giant funerary urns called Mudhumakkal Tazhi or Eema-Tazhi were used in South India. The bodies of the dead were placed in them sitting down and along with personal goods and decorations. This practice existed until 200 AD.
It was common for the Thai, Cambodian and Laotian kingdoms to place the corpse in a vessel. It was believed that in this way the soul gradually passes from the earthly world to the other world. Later the body was burned and the remains were buried in the ground.

Jugs as water reservoirs

There is also a version that these jugs were made as ordinary water storage facilities. Their main function was to collect rainwater for traveling caravans. The fact is that drought periodically occurred in these places, and water supplies came in handy.

The beads found at the bottom of the jars may have been a kind of offering from the caravaners, accompanying prayers for rain.

Legends of the Valley of Jugs

Local residents believe in the legend that giants lived here a long time ago, to whom these vessels did not seem huge at all.

Laotian legends tell of giants who inhabited the area. They were believed to be ruled by a king named Khun Chung. The king waged brutal wars with his neighbors, and when he defeated them all, in honor of this event, he ordered the creation of huge jugs for preparing countless quantities of lao-lao (the so-called traditional local rice wine).

Another version says that the jugs were cast from natural materials, including clay, sand, sugar and animal products.

Local residents believed that the cave at site No. 1 was actually a furnace, and that the vessels were created there rather than carved out of stone.

Valley of Pitchers in tourism

IN Civil War Most of the sites were heavily strewn with shells and bombs, so studying this phenomenon is difficult.

Between 1964 and 1973, the Valley of Jars was heavily bombed by the US Air Force. In general, the United States dropped more shells on Laos than during the entire Second World War. World War. More than 262 million anti-personnel cluster bombs have been dropped on Laos. According to experts, about 80 million of them did not explode and remained a deadly threat to the local population. Unexploded mines are still found here, so not all sites are accessible to tourists.

The most studied and visited place is located 5 kilometers from the city of Phonsavan and is called site No. 1. In addition to it, seven more sites are available. They are completely cleared of unexploded bombs and are open to visitors. These are sites No. 2, No. 3, No. 16 near the Old Capital of Xieng Khouang, site No. 23 near the hot spring in Muang Kham, site No. 25 and site No. 52, where 392 jars are located.

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