Researchers find human remains in Laotian jar

Archaeologists working at Site 75 on Laos’ Plain of Jars have found the disarticulated remains of at least 37 people inside a single large stone vessel, according to a study published in *Antiquity* on May 18. The jar sits on the Xieng Khouang Plateau, about 70 kilometers northeast of Phonsavan, in a landscape already known for thousands of megalithic stone jars. The new excavation gives researchers one of the clearest pieces of evidence yet that at least some of those jars were used in mortuary rituals. Direct radiocarbon dating of teeth from the jar placed the activity there at roughly cal A.D. 890 to 1160. ### Which jar did researchers excavate, and where was it found? Site 75 is the northeasternmost jar site yet excavated on the Plain of Jars, according to the *Antiquity* paper and related reports. The vessel described as Jar 1 was unusually large — more than two meters across, with thick walls, a broad base and a bowl-like form. The site lies in northern Laos on the Xieng Khouang Plateau, a region where more than 2,000 stone jars have been documented. (cambridge.org) Nicholas Skopal, the study’s lead author, said the jar stood out even within that broader landscape. Science News quoted him as saying, “The big jar we’ve found is unique, and I’ve seen a lot of jars.” ### What exactly was inside the jar? Researchers found a collective assemblage of human remains rather than a single intact burial. (cambridge.org) Reports on the study said the jar contained skulls, long bones, teeth and other fragmented skeletal material from adults and children. Smithsonian said the excavation identified right femurs and skulls from 19 people and teeth from 37 people, while *Archaeology* reported that skulls had been placed along the edges of the jar and arm and leg bones were grouped together. (sciencenews.org) Imported glass beads were also found with the remains, according to *Archaeology*. The *Antiquity* abstract described the deposit as a “collective mortuary assemblage of secondary interments,” meaning the dead were likely treated elsewhere first and only later reburied in the jar. ### Why do archaeologists think this was a burial practice? (smithsonianmag.com) The arrangement of the bones is a main reason. Cambridge’s *Antiquity* blog said the remains were tightly packed and disarticulated, with clusters of long bones and skull elements deliberately grouped together, which the researchers said strongly suggested secondary burial. Science News also reported Skopal’s view that bodies may have decomposed elsewhere before selected bones were placed in the large jar. (archaeology.org) Skopal said the current evidence points to repeated use over time. *Archaeology* quoted him as saying the jar was “a collective mortuary space used repeatedly over generations, potentially by extended family or community groups.” That interpretation is consistent with the radiocarbon dates and with the mix of ages represented in the remains. (cambridge.org) ### Does this solve the mystery of the Plain of Jars? The new find strengthens one long-running explanation, but it does not settle every question. Archaeologists have debated for decades whether the jars were linked to funerary practice, storage, transport or some other ritual use. Earlier excavations had found bone fragments and nearby burials, but this jar produced a much denser concentration of human remains than most previously studied examples. (archaeology.org) The *Antiquity* paper says the discovery “hints” at the jars’ function within a more complex funerary sequence, and *Archaeology* noted that it remains unclear whether all jars across the plateau were used the same way. In other words, the evidence is strongest for this jar and this site, not automatically for every vessel in Laos. (smithsonianmag.com) ### What happens next? The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal *Antiquity* in May 2026, not just on social media. Researchers said DNA analysis could help determine whether the dead were related, and further work may test whether other jars on the plateau were used in similar ways. The next concrete step is additional laboratory analysis tied to the Site 75 assemblage and any follow-up excavation in northern Laos. (cambridge.org)