Laos is a state in South-East Asia with the capital Vientiane. In the west it borders with Thailand, in the east - with Vietnam, in the south - with Cambodia, in the north - with the Yunnan province of China, in the northwest - with Myanmar.
Neighbors - Vietnamese and Thais - are sure: there are no more idlers than the Lao in the world. The old saying “Vietnamese plant rice, Khmers watch the planting, and Lao people listen to rice grow” has not lost its relevance to this day. It is not surprising that the Lao are not offended by the "lazy" people. Sometimes it seems that they even cherish and cherish this trait of their national character: they are in no hurry, meditate and pray quietly in dozens of ancient temples.
This approach to life allows you to live without worries, and at the same time stand out from the neighbors and attract "your" tourist. There are not many civilized entertainments, which are full of other Asian countries. But there is an untouched jungle, numerous semi-wild tribes and romantic means of transportation such as the antediluvian "passenger" barges or "cargo-passenger" elephants plying the Mekong.
An archaeological site in Laos that is worth visiting when traveling to this country is the Valley of Pitchers, in Xieng Khouang province.
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 pots ranges from 50 centimeters to 3 meters, and their weight reaches 6 tons.
The age of the jugs, according to archaeologists, is presumably between 1500 and 2000 years.
IN this moment the issue of assigning the status of the Valley of Jugs World heritage UNESCO. The situation is complicated by the fact that the province of Xieng Khouang in the 70s was subjected to massive bombing by the US Air Force during the so-called Secret War. For this reason, a significant part of the valley remains inaccessible to tourists.
Despite the fact that more than 400 pitcher sites have been discovered, only three sites are open to tourists. The largest group of jugs near Phonsavan city is called the First Site and contains about 250 pots. different sizes... Since the pitchers lie among unexploded shells, only three sites are open to visitors, visiting other sites is considered dangerous.
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 tragic incidents associated with them are reported almost every week.
There are many different versions by the origin of the mysterious valley of the jugs.
1. Vessels for water
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 traders 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.
2. Funeral rites
In the Valley of the Pitchers, a cave was found 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 may have been cremated in order for their souls to go 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 into 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.
Legends
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.
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.
The valley's territory includes more than 60 sites on which 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", which contains about 250 vessels of various sizes.
Phonsavan City:
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 southeast Asia, whose culture and customs are still unknown. Historians and anthropologists suggest that the huge jugs 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 dishes by the giants who lived here in ancient times. 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.
Currently, active negotiations are underway to include the famous Valley of the Pitchers in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main reason why she has not yet been given this status is the consequences of the heavy bombing of the Air Force, which the territory of the valley was subjected to. Clearing the territory from 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 that are ready to detonate at any moment, therefore, most of the valley is inaccessible for visiting. The Laotian authorities are doing their utmost to clear the Valley of the Pitchers of shells and ensure safe movement across the territory. In this they are assisted by various non-governmental organizations, which 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 pitcher sites are open to visit, so it is very difficult to fully explore the valleys. Now tourists have access to only three sites, which are completely cleared of shells.
"Site 2", which houses 90 jugs, 25 km south of Phonsavan:
The Valley of the Jugs is an unsolved landmark in Laos. Thousands of giant megalithic vessels are scattered across mountain valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of the Xiangkhoang Plateau in the main mountain range of Indochina. In their shape, the vessels are more like jugs, 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 on each of them 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 do not have bas-reliefs and 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 art in the Guangxi mountains (China) and date back to 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 certain seat, 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 breakage 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. Some of the jugs contained colored glass beads, burnt teeth, and bone fragments. 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
Locals 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 for the preparation of a myriad 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 No. 2, No. 3, No. 16 near the old capital of Xieng Khouang, site No. 23 near the hot spring in Muang Kham, site No. 25 and site No. 52, where 392 jugs are located.
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.
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 on which 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, which contains 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 remains 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 southeast 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.
Lao authorities for recent years are fighting to include the famous Valley of the Pitchers on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 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.
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 Jug Valley in Laos hides an inexplicable mystery of its origin. Several sites, strewn with huge stone pots, gathered around them many legends and legends.
The name "Plain of Jars" is not allegorical and has nothing to do with either the region of pottery development or the vegetation features of the area. This valley is a vast area practically in the center of Laos, in the Xieng Khouang province. It is located near the provincial capital, Phonsavan City. On dozens of separate sites at the foot of the Annamsky mountain spur, massive stone containers of various sizes are literally scattered. 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 venues are closed, as during civil war the area was bombed, 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 standing upright, some are toppled to one side. 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 Jugs. This is largely due to insufficient scientific archaeological research of this area. The locals are also limited 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 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 remains 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 lined up along one straight line, that is, quite possibly, along a certain path. This reveals their purpose as transshipment 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. Let such a consideration not pull on a reliable historical fact, but it explains well how the heavy sculptures 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.
The Lao authorities have been fighting for the inclusion of the Valley of the Pitchers in the list of World Cultural heritage UNESCO, but so far unsuccessful. 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 - The 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 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.
