Laos Jars Held Remains of 37 People

Why this is here: The team recovered 20 glass beads with chemical signatures linking the Lao highlands to trade networks spanning South Asia, the Middle East, and potentially Southeast China or Vietnam.

Archaeologists in Laos uncovered the remains of at least 37 people within one of the enigmatic stone jars on the Xieng Khouang Plateau. The team, led by Nicholas Skopal of James Cook University and Souliya Bounxayhip, excavated Jar 1 at Site 75, roughly 43.5 miles northeast of Phonsavan, over three seasons from 2022 to 2024.

They found disarticulated bones and teeth deposited over about 270 years, from roughly 890 to 1160 CE. This evidence supports the theory that the jars served as ossuaries—containers for secondary burials—where remains were moved after initial decomposition. Researchers also found glass beads originating from India and Mesopotamia alongside the bones.

These beads suggest the people who used the jars were connected to expanding trade networks in Asia. However, the location of their settlements remains unknown, and archaeologists are still unsure how the jars were created or transported. Further research on the recovered bones will attempt to determine the people’s origins and relationships.