2026/05/19 by Nicholas Skopal, Baptiste Pradier, Souliya Bounxayhip +12 · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.15184/aqy.2026.10352
Hundreds of large stone vessels can be found dispersed across the Xieng Khouang Plateau in northern Laos. Despite nearly a century of research, their purpose remains uncertain. Here, the authors report on the excavation of the exceptionally large Jar 1 at Site 75, which contains a collective mortuary assemblage of secondary interments. The disarticulated remains of at least 37 individuals hint at the jars’ function within a complex funerary sequence, with direct radiocarbon dating indicating a prolonged period of mortuary activity c . cal AD 890–1160, which was a time of increasing regional interaction and mobility in Southeast Asia.