Jars of the jungle: A report on newly discovered and documented megalithic jar sites in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Abstract

Xieng Khouang and neighboring provinces in Central Laos are home to a vast megalithic landscape featuring large stone jars, discs, and imported boulders located in elevated positions. Sites were first noted in the late nineteenth century, with systematic recording commencing in the 1930s. Despite subsequent survey efforts and more recent excavations, many previously noted sites remain unconfirmed and others undiscovered, limiting our understanding of the geographic extent of the jar sites and the culture that created the jars. Here we present the results of a 2019 survey across Xieng Khouang Province which led to the documentation of 15 previously unreported megalithic sites and one potential habitation site. With the inclusion of the survey data, the Lao PDR Government database of jar sites will grow from 83 to 102, with 94 of the sites now geo-located.