Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang – Plain of Jars, World heritage sites in Laos

The Jarl Plain in central Laos is dotted with over 2100 unique giant stone jars. This unique landscape is very strange…what were these used for?

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Jarl Plain is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about the Jarl Plain!

What is the Jarl Plain?

There is a huge stone jar of over 2,100 on a plain at the northern end of Xiengkhuang Province in central Laos. Incidentally, the name “jar” is named after the French word for “pot.Components include large carved stone jars, tombstones, and quarries dating from 500 to 500 BC.

What were the more than 2,100 stone urns used for in the first place? Legend has it that they were used to store giants, but in fact the most popular theory is that they were used as “urns.” A 1930 survey found human bones, burial accessories, and pottery around the urns, suggesting that they were used for burial rites.

It is speculated that these megalithic jars were transported to their present location from a quarry 8 km away, and it is believed that the civilization that built them was quite highly skilled. The Jarl Plain is one of the most unique prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia.

For what reason is the Jarl Plain on the World Heritage List?

The Jarl Plain was recognized for

Registration Criterion (iii)
that the Jarl Plain remains today as evidence of a civilization that is thought to have used jars for funerary purposes from about 500 BC to 500 AD.

世界遺産マニアの結論と感想

The Jarl Plain is quite fantastic with its scenery of huge stone pots scattered across the plain. In fact, the stone pots are thought to have been used for burials by the Mon-Khmer people who once lived on the Indochina Peninsula.However, it is not known exactly what kind of civilization built these pots.

The stone pots are the faint traces of civilization that remain, and one of the ways to enjoy the ruins is to imagine a once prosperous nation from the plains.

*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.