There is a place in Laos called the Valley of the Pitchers. It is no coincidence that the area received its name. There are hundreds of stone ... not stupas, not pools, not cisterns, but capacious (for the most part) containers.
It would seem that what could be simpler than a stone container? Take a boulder, hollow out a cavity inside - and use it! But if a product is complex in shape, equipped with a lid like a saucepan, dug into the ground and has cyclopean dimensions - what is it? How was it used? Who needs it? When was it created?
There are no unequivocal answers to these questions. Due to the impossibility of conducting full-scale archaeological excavations, the solution to the historical problem is postponed for an indefinite future.
War was raging in the Valley of Pitchers ...
Half a century ago, America was at war with Vietnam - and Laos also got it. The Lao province bordering Vietnam, in which the Valley of the Pitchers is located, was subjected to massive bombing. Some of the dropped charges were mines that got up on a combat platoon when entering the ground. There are many unexploded aerial bombs and forgotten artillery shells in the valley.This is why archaeological research - and any tourist activities as well - are prohibited in the Valley of the Pitchers, and access to dangerous areas is closed. Meanwhile, stone containers of similar structure, found here, as well as in Thailand and India, are very unusual and interesting.
In some places, the ban is not particularly strict, and you can see the legendary jugs!
Legends of the Valley of the Pitchers
The most poetic is the story of the Miao people. As if several thousand years ago giants lived in these places, and they went to the Valley of Pitchers to dine. They were served food in large stone vessels; smaller containers were used as glasses.Those who don't believe in giants talk about caravans that wandered across Southeast Asia and needed long-term storage of food supplies and water. It was as if these caravan men had hollowed out both containers and lids from the stone - and used them for centuries.
Adherents of funeral and ritual traditions (they consider any artifact found as a cult object) talk about the use of stone jugs as either sarcophagi, or tombs, or containers for storing the ashes of rulers buried in fire.
Tourists like the version that tells about King Khung Chung who decided to celebrate the victory in the next civil war with abundant libation. Given the large number of troops and the weak intoxicating ability of rice and millet mash, a lot of containers for preparing drinks were required!
True, in this case, a huge army of stonecutters would have to be seated for chiselling the stone. Where can I get so many qualified personnel and useful tools? After all, iron was almost unknown at that time ...
The locals have simplified the legend to a mere taboo. Say, in jugs under heavy lids they put evil caught among people. Languishing in a trap, it slowly absorbed into the stone. Therefore, children are forbidden not only to get inside, but even to touch stone jugs!
A particularly exotic theory says about placing stone jugs (or under their bottoms) and other treasures in the bodies.
The mysterious age of the finds in the Valley of the Pitchers
Opinions differ as to when the pitchers were born. Most archaeologists are inclined to date the "utensils" to the first millennium BC. Judging by the rate of erosion of the stone, the earliest of the stone jugs saw the light of day in 800 BC; the most recent - around the year 500. 
But who could have spent three hundred years cutting and hollowing out hundreds and hundreds of boulders, some of which weighed a dozen tons? And if unknown craftsmen made some utilitarian containers - why did they often leave a too thick layer of stone? Too thick walls reduce the capacity of the vessel ...
Anthropological findings also speak in favor of the hypothesis of the long-standing origin of stone jugs. Human remains were found by Australian specialists working in the Pitcher Valley cleared area. Radiocarbon analysis gave the exact age of the bones - 2500 years.
Is the valley of the jugs an ancient cemetery?
According to Australian scientists, the proximity of bones and jugs is no coincidence. The bodies of the deceased, several pieces at a time, were placed in stone containers with lids. The decay of tissues comes with the release of heat, the increased temperature accelerates the process of decomposition of the body. After a year or a year and a half, clean bones could be removed from the jug and buried separately, in a specially designated place.The pits, filled with bones, were covered with a massive gravestone, and the dead were not disturbed. While the accumulation of bones was going on to fill the new pit, the remains were stored in one of the stone or ceramic jugs.
However, simple calculations give startling results that have little to do with reality. In the Valley of Pitchers alone, there are more than a thousand vessels of various sizes. Taking into account the "productivity" of jugs as sarcophagi, it should be assumed that this funeral enterprise was serviced by a multimillion city. There is no trace of the existence of any large settlement near the Valley of the Pitchers!
Then the Valley of the Jars is a warehouse?
Opponents of the burial theory suggested that stone jugs, concentrated relatively heap, served as some kind of "bins of the homeland." Indeed, grain in unsealed stone containers can be stored for a long time - if there is a way to protect stocks from condensation humidification.There is no need to talk about storing water or wine in vessels. The warm climate of Laos will not allow the liquid to be kept in a usable form.
Jug Valley Exploration History
The discovery of the Valley of Pitchers was made by an official of the French administration of Laos in 1903. Fragmentary information about the outlandish find did not particularly disturb the scientific community of Europe, and the first researcher, archaeologist Henri Parmentier, arrived in the Valley of the Pitchers only in 1923. 
Finding artifacts of the Bronze Age and fragments of human bones in and around jugs, Parmentier lost interest in the Valley and left home. Madeleine Colani, who replaced her compatriot in a scientific post, worked with great zeal.
Having made the assumption about the existence of a forgotten civilization in these places, Madeleine released a two-volume review of her findings. The archaeological community got acquainted with the published materials, did not see a sensation in them - and the book was no longer reprinted, and it was not translated into other languages.
Research resumed at the very end of the twentieth century. The Japanese Nitta and the Lao Tong-Sa found several burials in the Valley of Pitchers, and decorative images were found on one of the stone vessels.
In total, over 115 years since the discovery of the Valley of Pitchers, not a single secret of the origin and use of stone containers has been solved, and the hypotheses expressed have remained unproven and unrejected.
What is known about the stone containers from the Valley of the Pitchers?
The shapes of the pitchers are very different. Products of a cylindrical shape prevail. There are many jugs made with a cone. There are containers of almost regular geometry - prisms, pyramids with rounded edges. Many vessels are made like real jugs - with a raised and narrowed neck. 
The height of stone products ranges from 30 cm to 3.5 m. The largest jug weighs about 10 tons. Most of the large jugs weigh two tons.
With the stone jugs, a number of stone lids have been preserved. There is every reason to believe that each vessel was previously equipped with an individual lid. However, most of them were directed by people to perform more urgent tasks.
Some of the surviving lids are simple discs carved from stone. Some are real works of art decorated with stylized carvings of people and animals.
The materials for the jugs and lids are local natural stones. Here is a quote from a laboratory report from a group of stone jugs: “Both the raw and polished containers are made of,. Some of the vessels have several types of rocks in the structure of their walls. "
In this case, we are talking about natural fusion, and not an artificial combination of different types of rocks. In addition, the examination refuted the working hypothesis about the possible manufacture of jugs from artificial stone (concrete). The presence of artifacts (stone, bronze, iron plates) nearby the jugs, which could qualify as a tool, speaks in favor of the masonry hypothesis of the origin of the vessels.
True, the locals acquainted the researchers with oral (and absolutely false) legends, which reported on the preparation of plastic mass from boiled collagen, sugar syrup, and mineral fillers.
There is no more reliable information about stone jugs.
The Valley of the Pitchers: An Equation of Only Variables
The researchers of the Valley of the Pitchers are faced with the following tasks:- find out who made hundreds of stone jugs and why;
- lost covers (at least a part);
- to clarify the date of manufacture of each of the stone jugs;
- understand the technology of making massive vessels;
- find quarries and work out the technology of transporting raw blocks to the place where jugs are made.
Mysterious corners of the greatness of past civilizations are scattered all over the world, but not all of them are equally known. Like the giants of Easter Island and Stonehenge, the Valley of Pitchers in Laos hides an inexplicable mystery of its origin. Several sites, strewn with huge stone pots, have gathered around them many stories and legends.
The name "Plain of Jars" is not allegorical and has nothing to do with either the region of the development of pottery or the plant features of the area. This valley is a vast area practically in the center of Laos, in Xieng Khouang province. It is located near the provincial capital, Phonsavan City. Massive stone containers of various sizes are literally scattered on dozens of separate sites at the foot of the Annamsky mountain spur. There are more than 60 such polygons 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 of the sites have been closed, as the area was bombed during the civil war, and many unexploded ordnance 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 statues. Most are upright, some are tossed on their sides. Next to the "jugs" themselves, sometimes you can find stone discs, 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 in place. So, in addition to the secret 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 for certain. There are several stable hypotheses about this, but none of them is confirmed.
History
There is very little information on the origin, use and cultural significance of the objects in the Valley of the Pitchers. This is largely due to insufficient scientific archaeological research of this area. The locals also limit themselves in this respect only to legends and traditions, without having any exact facts.
Currently, most archaeologists and anthropologists believe that 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 the culture of which in modern history is very scarce.
The first researcher who worked here in order to clarify the historical facts was Madeleine Colani. In the 30s of the last century, a French woman described most of the sites, and also discovered a cave nearby with burials and various remnants of burial 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.
The hypotheses about the purpose of the pots of the valley are mainly divided into two groups. The first group includes assumptions about their use as burial urns. This theory is supported by the presence on the territory of objects similar to furnaces, in which ritual burning could be carried out. These assumptions are refuted by the simple fact that no remains and burial accessories were found at the sites. All of 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 been found in the immediate vicinity, this theory looks more plausible. The fact is that the platforms with the jugs are not arranged concentrically, but are lined up along one straight line, that is, quite possibly, along a certain path. This reveals their purpose as a transit point on the ancient trade route. Here the caravans could rest and stock up on water for further movement.
The inhabitants of the province have their own views on this matter. According to their beliefs, giants once lived in the valley, and the jugs belong to them. Although such a consideration does not draw on a reliable historical fact, it does a good job of explaining how the heavy statues got to the very center of Laos.
In the 70s, the American Air Force densely bombed the territory of the province, so a number of jugs were destroyed, and unexploded shells remained in the ground at almost all sites. Dangerous areas, and most of them in the valley, are currently closed to the public, which explains the low availability of information on such a large-scale cultural monument.
Over the past years, the Lao authorities have been fighting for the inclusion of the Valley of Pitchers in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, but so far to no avail. One of the main criteria for accepting an object on the list is the release of the territory from shells, so these works are now being carried out quite actively. Three main sites have already been cleared. They are open to tourists and archaeologists.
Information for tourists
Available polygons - sites - Valleys of the Jugs are located at different distances from the provincial capital. The closest is the first site - just 3 km from the city. Here you will find over 250 pots and can look at the shells removed from the ground. Neutralized, of course. Also on the territory of the valley you can get acquainted with a number of tools, ritual accessories and remains found here.
Taking into account all of the above information, we can conclude that the Valley of the Jugs is a tidbit for any adventurer and traveler. The pictures alone will be worth what. If you are already in Laos, be sure to visit these massive statues. However, you should not 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 the Jugs is a group of unique sites that store unusual historical and archaeological monuments - huge stone jugs. These mysterious objects are located in Xieng 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 jugs are also found. Round discs were found next to unusual vessels, which were supposedly used as lids for them. These pots were made from granite, sandstone, rocks and calcined coral. Scientists suggest that the stone bowls are 1500-2000 years old.
Interesting? Let's understand in more detail ...
Until now, scientists cannot determine the age of these creations of human hands. And maybe not human. Huge vessels are scattered over a large area. It was as if the giants were gathering for a picnic and had a lot of fun. They are believed to be about 2,000 years old, but no one knows for sure. How they do not know who created them and why. Even more mystery is added by the fact that there is no nearby rock from which these jugs are made. And dragging 6-ton artifacts across the mountainous terrain from afar is not a very joyful activity. 
There are three large sites in the vicinity of Phonsavan. Getting to them is not easy. Tuk-tuk drivers will offer their services, but they will break the sky-high prices. An alternative is a motorbike. Having decided on this, remember that the path is not short and rather difficult. 
The mysterious Valley of jars (Plain of jars) is located in the country of Laos, namely, not far from the city of Phonsavan on the plateau of the province (khweng) of Xianghuang. Scientists have established that the period of vascular origin dates back to 500 BC. - 500 AD (Iron Age). At the moment, more than 90 places of pitchers have been found in the valley, the number of which in each varies from 1 to 392 pieces. In diameter, the sizes of the vessels vary from 1 to 3 meters, they are carved out of rocks and have a cylindrical shape. Many jugs are edged at the opening, suggesting that they had lids. Teeth, glass beads, fragments of ceramic stone and bronze items, and bone tissue were found inside and near the megalithic jugs. There are many different versions of the origin of the mysterious valley of jugs, the most basic are listed below. 
VERSION 1: GREATS
This is, rather, not a version, but a legend. According to one of the Laotian legends, huge giants lived in this valley for a long time and the jugs belonged to them. Another legend says that the jugs were made by King Khung Chung after he defeated his enemies. They were intended to make large quantities of lao lao rice wine in honor of victory. 
VERSION 2: TRADING ROUTE
Some sources mention that similar stone jugs were also found in countries such as India and Indonesia. Their locations coincide with trade routes. Due to this circumstance, there is a hypothesis that the jugs were made for merchants from different countries. During monsoons, rainwater was collected in stone vessels, and travelers and animals could quench their thirst. Found beads and other objects could well serve as an offering to the gods, so that rain came down and filled the jugs with water. 
VERSION 3: FUNERAL RIGHTS
An interesting fact is that a cave was found near location number 1, in which two artificial holes were created. Traces of soot have been preserved inside. It is believed that this cave served as a crematorium, and the holes were chimneys. The condition of the objects and remains found in the jugs indicate signs of cremation, and around the flasks - to burials without incineration. There are several interpretations in the explanations for this fact.
One of the theories. The bodies of the upper strata of the population, perhaps, were cremated so that their souls went to heaven, and the commoners were buried so that their souls were servants of the earth.
Another version. As an option, the body of the deceased was placed in a jug, and after some time, when the soul departed to another world, they cremated, and then buried again.
Third interpretation. It is likely that at first one person was buried in a jug, and for many years the relatives of the deceased were buried around the vessel.
The first archaeological excavations were carried out by French archaeologist Madeleine Colan in the 1930s, she is sure that the giant buildings were created by representatives of a very ancient civilization and were used for funeral rituals as vessels for storing ashes. Madeleine also found a cave with burials and ashes in the vicinity of the valley. According to another version, jugs were used to store food and various substances.
CURRENT STATE OF THE VALLEY OF JUGS
During the Secret War (1964-1973), American bombs exploded well in this region of Laos. The territory of Xianghuang province is still filled with millions of unexploded mines. Not only were many of the jugs damaged and destroyed as a result of the bombardment, but access to most of the vessel locations is still limited and extremely dangerous. Clearing the shells is not a cheap process for the poor Lao PDR. In this regard, the country calls for the status of a "World Heritage Site by UNESCO" for the valley of jugs in order to attract funding from outside to clear the surrounding territories from mines. At the moment (April 2015), only seven pitcher locations are considered safe: the most visited Nos. 1, 2, 3 and less popular Nos. 16, 23, 25, 52. 
Despite the fact that more than 400 pitcher sites have been discovered, only three sites are open to tourists. The largest of them has 250 stone vessels and is called site number 1, it is located near the city of Phonsavan.
Despite its remote location, the Valley of the Jugs was still badly damaged by the Vietnam War. A very large number of bombs were dropped in Laos between the 1960s and 1970s. Since that battle, stone jugs have kept their scars in the form of cracks in the walls and huge craters between them.
Undoubtedly, the plain of vessels would have attracted much more tourists, if not for the fact that more than 30% of the dropped bombs have not yet exploded and remain lost and scattered throughout the valley. According to researchers, approximately 250,000 hidden booby traps are still in Laos, and there are reports of tragic cases associated with them almost every week.
Perhaps someday it will be possible to unravel the mystery of the plain of vessels, but for now, be careful when traveling to Laos!
The authorities are considering the issue of giving the Valley of Kuvshinov UNESCO World Heritage Site. The difficulty of appropriation is that Xieng Khouang was bombed by the US Air Force during the Secret War, in the 70s. This is the reason why much of this amazing valley is not accessible to tourists.
During the bombing, not only the pitchers were damaged, but the field itself, which today has many deep craters. Collectors have taken all the smaller jugs from the hills long ago. But, in spite of this fact, hundreds of copies still remain in place, which are located in five groups. Tourists visit the most accessible place. It is called Thong Hai Hin. It is worth noting that this is where the largest of all the pitchers is located.
On xieng Khouang plateau in total, there are more than 4,000 jugs, but 3 sites are officially considered a tourist area:
- The first is located 10 km south-west of Phonsavan, it is the largest, there are about 250 jugs there, and the weight of the largest is 3.7 tons. And there is also a cave in which, according to legend, the giants burned these same jugs. The entrance is paid, in my opinion the ticket cost around 10,000 kip.
- The second site is located 15 kilometers from the city, on the hills near the village of Siengdi, about 150 jugs have been preserved there.
- The latter is located a little further than the second, about 27 km from Phonsavan.
On numerous posters in travel agencies in Luang Prabang, photos of different minivans and VIP buses flaunt, but in fact it turned out that there is only one bus a day from the bus station. The cost of a bus ticket in travel agencies is 120,000 kip, and they sold it to us under the guise of VIP BUS tickets. buy a ticket in advance, travel time is about 8 hours with a couple of stops. 
The Valley of Pitchers is a group of unique sites that store unusual historical and archaeological monuments - huge stone jugs. These mysterious objects are located in Xieng Khouang province, in Laos.
The Valley of the Jars contains thousands of large stone pots scattered at the foot of the Annam Range that 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 jugs are also found.
Many of the vessels are upright, some are toppled to one side. Next to the "jugs" themselves, sometimes you can find stone discs, which, apparently, were used as lids. These pots are made of granite, sandstone, rock and calcined coral. Scientists suggest that the age of the stone bowls is presumably 1,500 - 2,000 years.
The valley's territory includes more than 60 sites, where groups of gigantic vessels are located. All sites are stretched along one line, which may be evidence that earlier there was an ancient trade route, which served as sites with jugs. The largest number of jugs 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 in order to clarify the historical facts was Madeleine Colani. In the 30s of the last century, a French woman described most of the sites, and also discovered a cave nearby with burials and various remnants of burial 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.
There are a huge number of theories and assumptions about who and for what purposes created such peculiar vessels. According to scientists, these jugs were used by an ancient people living in the southeast of Asia, whose culture and customs are still unknown.
Historians and anthropologists suggest that the huge jugs may have been urns and were used in funeral rituals. However, no remains or burial accessories were found at the sites. All of 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 been found in the immediate vicinity, this theory looks more plausible. The fact is that the platforms with the jugs are not arranged concentrically, but lined up along one straight line, that is, quite possibly, along a certain path. Here the caravans could rest and stock up on water for further movement.
Laotian legends tell that giants once lived in the valley, and the jugs belong to them.
Well, the version of local residents says that rice wine was made and stored in megalith jugs. No matter how many versions and theories are put forward, the Valley of Pitchers, undoubtedly, remains an unsolved mystery.
The Lao authorities have been fighting for the inclusion of the famous Valley of the Pitchers in the UNESCO World Heritage List in recent years. The main reason why she has not yet been given this status is the consequences of the heavy bombing of the US Air Force, which the valley was subjected to. One of the main criteria for accepting an object on the list is the release of the area from shells, so these works are now being carried out quite actively. Three main sites have already been cleared. They are open to tourists and archaeologists.
The Valley of the Jugs is an unsolved landmark in Laos. Thousands of giant megalithic vessels are scattered across the mountain valleys and lower foothills of the central plain of the Xiangkhoang Plateau in the main mountain range of Indochina. The vessels are more like jugs in shape, hence the name itself. Their size is striking - up to 3 meters in height, and up to 6 tons in weight.
Where is the Valley of Kuvshinov
The valley is located in the province of Siengkhuang in the northern part of the country in the region of the city of Phonsavan.
Geographic coordinates 19.431047, 103.152298
general description
The valley has several isolated areas with vessels. There are more than 90 such sites in total. They have their own numbers. And each of them has from one to 392 stone jugs. Their height varies from 1 to 3 meters. All as one are carved from stone.
The jugs have a cylindrical shape, and the bottom is always wider than the top. The vessels have no bas-reliefs or drawings, except for one jug on the main platform, number 1. On the outside, there is an engraved silhouette of a man with raised arms and bent knees.
By the way, similar images are found in rock paintings in the Guangxi mountains (China) and date back to the 5-2 centuries BC.
Studies, theories and legends of giant pitchers
According to scientists, the age of the jugs is approximately 1,500 to 2,500 years.
Since many jugs have a specific seat in the upper part, it is believed that they were originally covered with lids. Several flat stone covers have been found in the vicinity. But it is assumed that the lids themselves were made of a material more susceptible to degradation than the jugs. Therefore, there are much fewer caps than vessels. The found covers contained bas-reliefs with images of tigers, frogs and monkeys.
One of the few surviving covers 
Also found are stone discs that differ from the lids. Perhaps they were the markers of burial places.
It is worth noting that five types of rocks have been discovered in the vicinity: sandstone, granite, conglomerate, limestone and breccia. Most of the pitchers are made of sandstone. It is believed that ancient craftsmen used iron chisels to make these vessels, but there is no conclusive evidence of this.
Archaeologists offer us several hypotheses for the origin of the jugs.
Jugs as a burial place
According to one version, the vessels are a kind of urns for burial or cremation.
In 1930, French researcher Madeleine Colani suggested that the jugs were associated with prehistoric burial methods. It is possible that bodies were cremated in them with the subsequent burial of the remains in a separate place.
In particular, she found a cave in the area of \u200b\u200bsite number 1, which has a limestone formation. In its northwestern part there is a natural opening, and at the top there are two artificial ones. Kolani considered these holes as chimneys for the crematorium. She also found materials in the cave to support the theory of cremation. In some of the jugs, colored glass beads, burnt teeth and bone fragments were found. Human bones, pottery fragments, iron and bronze objects and remains of charcoal were also found in the vicinity. Bones and teeth within the vessels are indirect evidence of cremation.
Research by Laotian and Japanese archaeologists also partly confirmed Kolani's theory.
By the way, in South India they used similar giant burial urns called Mudhumakkal Tazhi or Eema-Tazhi. The bodies of the deceased were placed in them while sitting and together with personal goods and jewelry. This practice existed until 200 AD.
It was common for the Thai, Cambodian and Lao kingdoms to place a corpse in a vessel. It was believed that in this way the soul gradually passes from the earthly world to the other world. Later, the body was burned, and the remains were buried in the ground.
Jugs as water tanks
There is also a version that these jugs were made as ordinary storage for water. Their main function was to collect rainwater for traveling caravans. The fact is that in these places periodically there was a drought, and water supplies turned out to be very useful.
The beads found at the bottom of the jugs may have been a kind of gift from the caravans that accompanied prayers for rain.
Legends of the Valley of Jugs
Local residents believe in the legend that giants lived here long ago, to whom these vessels did not seem huge at all.
Laotian legends tell of the giants who inhabited the area. It was believed that they were ruled by a king named Khun Chung. The king waged fierce wars with his neighbors, and when he defeated them all, he ordered in honor of this event to create huge jugs to prepare innumerable quantities of lao-lao (as the traditional local rice wine is called).
Another version says the jugs were molded from natural materials, including clay, sand, sugar, and animal products.
Locals believed that the cave at Site 1 was actually a furnace, and that vessels were created there, rather than carved out of stone.
Valley of Kuvshinov in tourism
During the Civil War, most of the sites were abundantly strewn with shells and bombs, so the study of this phenomenon is difficult.
Between 1964 and 1973, the Valley of the Pitchers was heavily bombed by the US Air Force. In general, the United States dropped more shells on Laos than in the entire Second World War. More than 262 million anti-personnel cluster bombs have been dropped on Laos. According to experts, about 80 million of them did not explode and remained a mortal threat to the local population. Unexploded mines are still found here, so not all sites are accessible to tourists.
The most studied and visited place is located 5 kilometers from the city of Phonsavan and is called site No. 1. Besides it, there are seven more sites available. They are completely cleared of unexploded bombs and are open to visitors. These are sites # 2, # 3, # 16 near the Old Capital of Xieng Khouang, site # 23 near the hot spring in Muang Kham, site # 25 and site # 52, where 392 pitchers are located.
