Site 75: A New Mortuary Tradition at the Plain of Jars, Lao PDR

Souliya Bounxaythip1*, Nicholas Skopal2,3, Baptiste Pradier4, Charlie Cooper3, Tracey Pilgrim3, Laure Dussubieux5, Tate Devantier-Thomas2, Frederique Valentin6, Anna Florin3, Dan Baker7, and Geoff Clarke8

The Plain of Jars in northern Laos represents one of Southeast Asia’s most enigmatic megalithic landscapes. Hundreds of large stone vessels are distributed across the Xieng Khouang Plateau, yet their precise function and chronology remain poorly understood. Excavations of Jar 1 at Site 75 provide one of the first complete investigations of an undisturbed jar infill deposit and the surrounding context over 3 seasons (2022-2024). The excavation revealed a dense deposit of disarticulated human remains representing a minimum of 37 individuals, accompanied by earthenware vessels, glass beads, an iron knife and a copper-based bell. Osteological patterns indicate that the jar functioned as an ossuary containing secondary burials, suggesting a complex, multi-stage funerary sequence rather than a single depositional event. Radiocarbon dates obtained from human teeth, bone and associated charcoal place the principal mortuary activity between c. 890–1160 cal AD. Compositional analysis of glass beads indicates participation in extensive exchange networks linking mainland Southeast Asia with South Asia and the Middle East. These results provide the clearest evidence to date that stone jars at the Plain of Jars served as mortuary receptacles and formed part of a broader funerary landscape used over several generations. The findings refine the chronology of jar use and highlight the role of upland Laos within wider regional interaction networks during the early second millennium AD.