Mysterious Valley of Jugs, Laos. Archaeological finds of the megalith: Valley of the Jars in Laos What is known about the stone containers from the Valley of the Jars

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 an incredible number of turns.

At 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.

Resourcefulness also attracts attention local population. 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) B east side 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, North Vietnam transported troops and artillery to the territory of 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, Plain 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. This journey took us approximately 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 Action Company of America, Mines Advisory Group). 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 through 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 nature middle zone 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 shelter 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. It was here great amount wars, 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 for 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 is the famous 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 South-East Asia, which is incredibly 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 World Heritage and visiting all sorts of unexplored 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.

The Valley of Jugs is a group of unique sites that contain unusual historical archaeological sites– huge stone jugs. These mysterious objects are located in Xiang Khouang province, Laos. Thousands of gigantic stone vessels are scattered among the dense tropical flora. 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. Round disks were found next to the unusual vessels, which were presumably used as lids for them. These pots were made from granite, sandstone, rock and calcined coral. Scientists suggest that the age of the stone bowls is 1500 – 2000 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 city of Phonsavan is concentrated greatest number jugs, this place is called the “First Platform”, on which there are about 250 vessels of various sizes.

Phonsavan city:

There are a huge number of theories and assumptions regarding who created such unique vessels and for what purposes. 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 suggest that the huge jars could have been funerary urns and were used in funeral rituals. There is a version that food was stored in them, another version says that rainwater was collected in the vessels, which was used by trade caravans. Laotian legends say that these gigantic jugs were used as ordinary utensils by the giants who lived here in ancient times. 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.

Active negotiations are currently underway to include the famous Valley of Jugs in the list World Heritage UNESCO. The main reason why it has not yet been given this status is the consequences of the heavy air force bombing that the valley area was subjected to. And clearing the area of shells is an important condition for the possibility of research and development of tourism in a given area. At the moment there are a large number of shells ready to detonate at any moment, therefore, most of the valley is not accessible to visitors. The Laotian authorities are putting all their efforts into clearing the Valley of Jars of shells and ensuring safe movement around the territory. In this they are helped by various non-governmental organizations that are fascinated by the beauty of ancient monuments and are ready to fight to ensure that these valuable historical sites are open to people.
Today, only a limited number of sites with jugs are open to the public, so it is very difficult to fully explore the valleys. Now only three sites are available to tourists, which are completely cleared of shells.

"Site 2", where 90 jugs are located, 25 km south of Phonsavan:

Imagine that somewhere on our planet there are fields and forests where hundreds of human-sized stone jars have been scattered for thousands of years. Their origin is one of the most interesting riddles stories. In general, today I will introduce you to unusual place, which we managed to visit during a year-long trip to Southeast Asia - the Valley of Jars in Laos, I will tell you in which part of the country they can be found, I will mark the locations on the map, I will explain how to get there, I will tell legends and theories of origin, I will show a lot of photos and give our feedback.

General information and versions of the origin of the Valley of Jugs

Facts about pitchers

The mysterious Valley of Jars (Plain of jars) is located in the country of Laos, namely not far from the plateau of the province (Khvenge) of Xiang Khouang. Scientists have established that the period of the appearance of vessels dates back to 500 BC. – 500 AD (Iron Age). At the moment, more than 90 locations of jugs have been found in the valley, the number of which in each varies from 1 to 392 pieces. The diameter of the vessels varies from 1 to 3 meters, they are carved from rocks and have a cylindrical shape. Many jugs have a rim around the hole, which suggests that they had lids. Teeth, glass beads, fragments of ceramic stone and bronze items, and bone tissue were found inside and near the megalithic jars. There are many different versions of the origin of the mysterious Valley of Jugs; I will list the most basic ones below.

Valley Jugs

Version 1: Giants

This is, rather, not a version, but a legend. Residents of Laos believe that giants once lived on these lands. One day, their king Khun Cheung defeated his enemies and, to celebrate this event, ordered the making of stone vessels for making rice wine.

Jugs location No. 1

Version 2: Trade Route

Some sources mention that similar stone jars have also been found in countries such as India and Indonesia. Their locations coincide with trade routes. In connection with this circumstance, there is a hypothesis that the jugs were made for traders from different countries. During the monsoons, rainwater was collected in stone vessels, and travelers and animals could quench their thirst. The beads and other objects found could well have served as offerings to the gods so that rain would come down and fill the jugs with water.

Drink, dear guests!

Version 3: Funeral Rites

An interesting fact is that near location No. 1 a cave was found in which two artificial holes were created. Traces of soot remained inside. It is believed that this cave served as a crematorium, and the openings were chimneys.

The condition of the objects and remains found in the jars indicate signs of cremation, and those around the flasks indicate burials without burning. There are several interpretations to explain this fact.

One of the theories. The bodies of the upper classes may have been cremated so that their souls could go to heaven, while the commoners were buried so that their souls could serve as servants of the earth.

Another version. Alternatively, the body of the deceased was placed in a jug, and after some time, when the soul had passed on to another world, it was cremated, and then buried a second time.

Third interpretation. It is likely that at first one person was buried in the jug, and over the years the relatives of the deceased were buried around the vessel.

Cave-crematorium at location No. 1

Current state of the Valley of Jars

During the Secret War (1964-1973), American bombs thoroughly undermined this region of Laos. 🙁 The territory of Xianghuan Province is still filled with millions of unexploded mines. Not only were many of the jars damaged and destroyed as a result of the bombing, but access to most jar locations is still limited and extremely dangerous. Clearing the shells is not a cheap process for poor Lao PDR. In this regard, the country is calling for the Valley of Jars to be given UNESCO World Heritage status in order to attract outside funding to clear the surrounding areas of mines. At the moment (April 2015), only seven jug locations are considered safe: the most visited Nos. 1, 2, 3 and the less popular Nos. 16, 23, 25, 52.

Valley of Jugs, location 1: photos and our reviews

Location of stone jars No. 1 (Site 1: Thong Hai Hin) is the most visited place in the valley, because... is closest to the city of Phonsavan. Here, on an area of 25 hectares, 334 vessels are scattered.

The largest jug found at this site has a diameter of 2.5 m and a height of 2.57 m.

The largest jug from location 1

It was near this location that a cave was discovered, similar to the ancient crematorium that I wrote about above.

Location No. 1 – popular place among local residents for weddings and other photo shoots.

And some more photos of the Valley of Jugs:

Route on the map of the Valley of Jugs, location 1

Our review: If you come to Phonsavan, then visiting this place is a must! Location 1 is one of the largest, most interesting and easily accessible in the Valley of Jars.

Valley of Jugs, location 2: photos and our reviews

We visited this part of the Valley of Jugs (Site 2: Hai Hin Phu Salato) last. It so happened that we barely managed to get here before darkness, because... Before this, we spent half a day riding around some fields, which we don’t regret at all! The jugs are located here on two hills. First we looked at the hill on the right, if you walk from the ticket office. What views opened up to us!!!

Then we turned up the left hill. There was an atmosphere of some mystery here.

Our review: this place seemed the most... sincere, or something. Perhaps this is due to the fact that we arrived here at sunset, when the fields, hills and jugs took on a golden fiery color. I had the feeling that time had stopped, that Kostya and I were left completely alone somewhere on the edge of the earth. I wanted to rejoice, jump... No! I wanted to fly!

Valley of Jugs, location 3: photos and our reviews

Having purchased tickets at the box office for visiting site No. 3 (Site 3: Hai Hin Lat Khai), we cross the bridge over the river.

To see the third location of the jugs, you need to go further through the rice fields.

The vessels are located on a small hill in a fenced area.

Our review: This part of the valley impressed us the least, even though we had visited it before the previous one. But it was a pleasure to walk through the rice fields and watch beautiful nature around.

Rules of conduct and precautions

In places where you visit the Valley of Jugs there are the following behavior rules:

Do not walk on or move the jugs.
Do not litter! Leave garbage in specially equipped places.
Do not damage the jugs or draw on them. Do not bring sharp objects onto the premises.
Camping and picnics on site archaeological park prohibited.
Selling anything from the jugs is prohibited.
Do not enter the territory without permission.
It is prohibited to move on vehicles on the territory of the complex.

It is very unpleasant when local residents do not follow these rules themselves. Example. Below in the photo is a sign on which in Laotian and English languages the above rules are written. Directly below it are jugs, sitting on which the Laotians are intensely eating food in “get-togethers”. Is there anywhere else to eat? People deliberately bought food and brought it with them to eat it here. Why not do this in a parking lot, for example? Yes, here you can walk around every jug in an hour or two! Is it really unbearable?

Precautionary measures, first of all, come down to the possibility of stumbling upon a mine. Although the territories of the seven jug locations are safe, it is better not to deviate to the side. In areas cleared of bombs, special marks are installed with the inscription MAG (Mine Advisory Group). On the side of the white stripe there is a zone without mines.

There are no mines on the left

How to get to the Valley of Jars (on the map of Laos)

Map of pitchers sites

As I already wrote, we visited 3 main locations of jugs in Laos (No. 1, 2, 3). However, there are several other relatively accessible places around Phonsavan. I know about the existence of at least 4 more locations cleared of mines: No. 16, 23, 25, 52. For the purpose of exploring the surrounding area. For navigation, we used a mobile application with offline maps maps.me.

on the map Phonsavana, Xianghuang:

Explanation of marks on the map:

Red is the main landmark, the tourist center of the city of Phonsavan.
Blue – location No. 1 of the Valley of Jugs.
Yellow - location No. 2 of the Valley of Jugs.
Green – location No. 3 of the Valley of Jugs.
Orange - a quarry and an area with unfinished jugs.
Purple is the estimated point of location No. 16.

There is another schematic map, photographed by an Italian who rented a bike:

IN tourist center of the city, a colorful, rather conventional map was seen in the form of drawings of jugs. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo of the valley. You can find it on the spot.

Location 1

Working hours: Mon.-Fri. 8.00-11.30 and 13.30-16.00. It will be difficult to get to the jugs during non-working hours.
Ticket prices: entrance – 15,000 kip ($2), bike parking – 3,000 kip ($0.38).
Coordinates: 19.431653, 103.15411.
How to get there: From highway No. 7 (asphalt), which runs along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take the road 1D (asphalt). After 6 km there will be a right turn. After a few tens of meters, a dusty fine gravel road begins, but after 2 km you will find yourself at the ticket office building and parking lot. From the cash register to the jugs they are transported by electric vehicles, although the distance there is not very far, it is quite possible to walk.

Location 2

Working hours:
Ticket prices:
Coordinates: 19.318857, 103.15275.
How to get there: From highway No. 7 (asphalt), which runs along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take the road 1D (asphalt). After 9 km there will be a right turn. Here, drive 4 km along a wide dirt road and turn left. Continue for 2.5 km and near the sign near the village of Nak Ho, turn left again and drive another 1.5 km. After the ticket office you need to walk about 600 m (we were allowed to ride a bike). Then you will see steps (paths) to the hill on the right and left. In general, there will be jugs both here and there.

Location 3

Working hours: not installed. Judging by the situation, it is possible to get to the jugs even when the cash register is not open.
Ticket prices: entrance – 10,000 kip ($1.25), bike parking – free.
Coordinates: 19.292784, 103.15045.
How to get there: From highway No. 7 (asphalt), which runs along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take the road 1D (asphalt). After 9 km there will be a right turn. Here, drive 4 km along a wide dirt road and turn left. Then drive 6.5 km (after passing the turn to Location No. 2 and the village of Nak Ho) and at the sign turn left (before reaching the village of Cha Ho), drive another 1.7 km, where there will be an exit to the ticket office on the right. Immediately after the ticket office you need to cross the bridge. Then you will come to rice fields, through which you need to go further. Keep to the path that goes a little to the right. Focus on a hill with trees among the fields, that’s where the jugs will be.

Other locations of the Valley of Jugs

The owner of the bike frowned very much when he heard about our desire to visit other valleys of jugs. He explained his reaction by saying that it was far away and problematic. Due to lack of time, limited, we did not look for these places (like other mysterious archaeological megalithic sites more than a hundred kilometers from Phonsavan in the neighboring province). We greatly regretted this just a few days later, being already far away from here - in Vang Vieng. Only then did an idea come to my head. They bit my elbows, of course, but what can you do? At next visit Southeast Asia we will definitely patch up the numerous “holes” in Laos!

Other sites:

Quarry and unfinished jugs - coordinates: 19.47862, 103.0872, entrance 10 thousand kip.
№16 – behind the old provincial capital Muang Khoun.
№23 – near a large hot spring outside the city called Muang Kham.
№52 – the largest of the valleys (392 jugs). Located in the area of Ban Phakeo (Phouxeo?). Getting here is not very easy. You need to walk some distance. I read that there is a traditional Hmong village nearby.
№25 – somewhere near the city of Muang Phukoot (Phoukout?).

Explored the Valley of Jars in Laos

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Mysterious corners of the greatness of past civilizations are scattered all over the world, but not all of them are equally famous. Like the giants of Easter Island and Stonehenge, the Valley of Jars in Laos hides an inexplicable mystery of its origin. Several sites strewn with huge stone pots have gathered around them many legends and legends.

The name “Valley of Jars” (English: Plain of Jars) is not allegorical and has nothing to do with either the region where pottery was developed or the plant characteristics of the area. This valley is a vast area almost in the center of Laos, in the Xiang Khouang province. It is located near the administrative center of the province - the city of Phonsavan. At dozens of separate sites at the foot of the Annam mountain spur, massive stone containers of various sizes are literally scattered. There are more than 60 such training grounds in this area, but only three are the most visited. All of them are located on relatively elevated hills and are open to visits by both archaeological scientists and ordinary tourists and travelers. Most sites are closed because during civil war The area was bombed, and many unexploded shells remained in the ground.

The size and shape of the containers are different. There are specimens only half a meter high, but there are also giant three-meter stone sculptures. Most stand upright, some are tumbled to the side. Next to the “jugs” themselves you can sometimes find stone disks, which, apparently, were used as lids. The weight of the jugs reaches 6 tons, and if you pay attention to the material from which they are made - granite, other rocks, even fossilized corals - it becomes clear that they were not made locally. This means that, in addition to the mystery of their intended purpose, the question arises, how were they delivered here?

By the way, they were called “jugs” only because of their external resemblance. The direct purpose of the objects found here is not known to anyone for certain. There are several stable hypotheses about this, but none of them is confirmed.

Story

There is very little information about the origin, use and cultural significance of the sites in the Valley of the Jars. This is largely due to insufficient scientific archaeological research of this territory. Local residents also limit themselves in this regard only to legends and traditions, without having any exact facts.

Currently, most archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the stone sculptures are about 1500 - 2000 years old, that is, they already belong to our era. The authorship, in their opinion, belongs to one of the ancient peoples of Southeast Asia, knowledge of whose culture is in modern history very scarce.

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.

Hypotheses about the purpose of the valley pots fall mainly into two groups. The first group includes assumptions about their use as funeral urns. This theory is supported by the presence on the territory of objects similar to ovens, in which ritual burning could be carried out. These assumptions are refuted by the simple fact that no remains or burial goods were found at the sites. All this was discovered separately at some distance.

The second group of hypotheses involves the use of pots 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. This reveals their purpose as a staging post on an ancient trade route. Here caravans could rest and stock up on water for further movement.

Residents of the province have their own views on this matter. According to their beliefs, giants once lived in the valley, and the jugs belonged to them. Although such an examination does not amount to a reliable historical fact, it does a good job of explaining how the heavy sculptures ended up in the very center of Laos.

In the 70s, the American Air Force heavily bombed the province, so a number of jugs were destroyed, and unexploded shells remained in the ground at almost all sites. Dangerous areas, and the majority of them in the valley, are currently closed to the public, which explains the low availability of information for such a large-scale cultural monument.

Laotian authorities during recent years are fighting for the inclusion of the Valley of Jugs in the list of World Heritage Sites Cultural Heritage UNESCO, but so far without success. One of the main criteria for accepting an object into the list is clearing the territory 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 the work of archaeologists.

Tourist Information

Available testing areas – sites – Valley of the Jars are located at varying distances from the provincial capital. The closest one is the first site, just 3 km from the city. Here you will find more than 250 pots and have the opportunity to see shells dug out of the ground. Neutralized, of course. Also in the valley you can see a number of tools, ritual paraphernalia and remains found here.

Taking into account all the above information, we can conclude that the Valley of Jars is a tasty morsel for any adventurer and traveler. The pictures alone will be worth it. If you find yourself in Laos, be sure to visit these massive sculptures. However, you shouldn’t count on a full-fledged excursion with a lot of details. Rather, it will be just a fascinating walk among human-sized stone mortars.

The Valley of Jugs is a group of unique sites that contain unusual historical and archaeological monuments - huge stone jugs. These mysterious objects are located 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 to clarify 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.

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.

Over the past few years, Laotian authorities have been fighting to include the famous Valley of Jars on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main reason why it has not yet been given this status is the consequences of the heavy US Air Force bombing 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 the work of archaeologists.