OUR TREASURES: The Plain Of Jars
One of the most mysterious and curious places in Southeast Asia is the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khuang Province in Laos. These are not just ordinary pots and broken vases but huge, ancient, creepy stone jars (as tall as 5 ft each) scattered over an area of 500 sq miles!
The kicker is… nobody knows where it came from or who made ‘em and nobody even knows their purpose. The Plain of Jars is Southeast Asia's version of the Easter Island and scientists said that these jars are more than 2,000 years old *Collectors of antiquity…stay out!*
I can’t help but theorize what these ancient jars are for…could these urns were used by ancient Laotians to store ashes of their dead relatives? Yeah, I could be right. But there are no historical records that they burn their deads in those times, is there?
Could they have used it to collect rain for drinking water? Or to make lots of fermented fish (like Trasi, Belacan, Prahok or Bagoong)? Could these be ancient prison cells for bad-ass citizens? The possibilities are endless!
My father used to say that there are things better left alone – unexplained, undisturbed, undiscovered. This “exclusivity” propel these curious wonders into eternity and the Plain of Jars of Laos is no exception.
This ancient site will soon be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And BISEAN recommends a visit to this ancient, puzzling destination. Include it on your next visit to Laos. It is only a few hours away from Vientiane and make sure you book the trip through your hotel concierge only.
The kicker is… nobody knows where it came from or who made ‘em and nobody even knows their purpose. The Plain of Jars is Southeast Asia's version of the Easter Island and scientists said that these jars are more than 2,000 years old *Collectors of antiquity…stay out!*I can’t help but theorize what these ancient jars are for…could these urns were used by ancient Laotians to store ashes of their dead relatives? Yeah, I could be right. But there are no historical records that they burn their deads in those times, is there?
Could they have used it to collect rain for drinking water? Or to make lots of fermented fish (like Trasi, Belacan, Prahok or Bagoong)? Could these be ancient prison cells for bad-ass citizens? The possibilities are endless!My father used to say that there are things better left alone – unexplained, undisturbed, undiscovered. This “exclusivity” propel these curious wonders into eternity and the Plain of Jars of Laos is no exception.
This ancient site will soon be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And BISEAN recommends a visit to this ancient, puzzling destination. Include it on your next visit to Laos. It is only a few hours away from Vientiane and make sure you book the trip through your hotel concierge only.I’d like to know what you think.
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8 Comments:
Great post. I'm always curious about Laos. If ancient Laotians knew astrology, the mysterious jars could be markers for the position of the stars and other celestial bodies. Just a wild guess.
I was told by some field workers while in Laos that these jars were used to store rice wine in earlier days, but that's just one explanation for these jars. There are still more jars being discovered in this region as well from what I'm told.
that's so kick-a** interesting. why is it almost unadvertised?
haha.. me thinks they're used to pound rice and take their husks off..
very interesting jars, i really wonder where they use these jars for, possibly to store water? just wondering...
wow. maybe large aliens lived there a long time ago. living among humans. hehe
Haihz~ i wanna go to this place when i was in Laos last month, but time doesn't allow and it's way off our route, therefore didn't go~ but i am sure to go one day!! I am so fascinated by those huge jars!
who knows? even the locals don't know the purpose of the jars, only the ancient inhabitants of Laos knows the story behind the mystery of those jars...
one thing's for sure though, that these are proofs that the laos people exist 2000 years ago..
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