The Plain of Jars Mystery

Hello ATS, today I have some interesting pictures of the Plain of Jars in Laos. These Jars can be found scattered all over the plains by the hundreds and their origin is a mystery.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/fb6c926cff3c.jpg[/atsimg]

Ancient Laos legends tell of the giants who drank water from these enormous mysterious "cups". Similar sites were also found in Thailand and in North India. Their locations are strung along a straight line, which suggests that they were built on some kind of a trade route.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/membe/74770ad4e69e.jpg[/atsimg]

The Plain Of Jars is probably South East Asia’s most enigmatic tourist attraction. Situated in the remote north east of Laos, the mountainous communist country which has only been open to tourists for just over a decade, are hundreds of huge stone jars scattered across several square miles.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/membe/e1b82d837152.jpg[/atsimg]

There are three key sites to see the Jars, three places where they are clustered together en masse, but there are apparently over 400 locations where they are to be found scattered across the plain.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/68794f67e184.jpg[/atsimg]

They were all at least a couple of metres long, and must have weighed several tonnes each, some upright, some leaning after being embedded in the ground, some completely toppled over, the largest jar weighs around 6 metric tons.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ce03ac0c484b.jpg[/atsimg]

The lids for these jars are also quite mysterious looking. They have as much texture and ancient feel to them as Stonehenge.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/303f775f692b.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/membe/896410b4ba7b.jpg[/atsimg]
www.darkroastedblend.com...

Hope you liked it and maybe someone has some idea of the origins of these amazing artifacts.

No clue here but thanks for posting these, i wonder if they were for collecting water ? It said they were found basicaly in a straight line for several miles, maybe back then water was hard to find so the "jars" were there to collect rain water..hmmmm

[edit on 16-4-2010 by baddmove]

At first glance, they remind me of petrified trees. It would be interesting to see if they are all hollow...what would cause them to be hollow (if they are petrified trees?) They are obviously containers of some sort, as indicated by both the lids & the things they were full of... Interesting, nonetheless. Thanks, OP.

reply to post by TV_Nation


Actually I wikied it and they made mention that they may be burial jars. They even said they have found skeletons of children in them, I don't buy it. For those things to weigh tons and have to be formed on the outside and formed on the inside (which would be almost impossible unless you used a machine, you can only get a few people with a chisel on top of that and thats if they used chisel). These things are massive and weigh alot for just burial, take all this time and move these massive rocks in order to bury someone, and doing again and again and again, no way. Maybe this is part of the Michael Tellinger slave species theory, I don't know but it is weird. Having humanoids in these vessels being made to order and then pulled out of the gloop. Probably not, but the people said that Giants drank water from them (more giants myth/legend). One of these days we will find out what was the real story of man before the cataclysm.

en.wikipedia.org...



[edit on 16-4-2010 by hoghead cheese]

[edit on 16-4-2010 by hoghead cheese]

I reckon they are Beer Vats for the Ancient Gods. I can see they did like to "Party" a bit aye. I reckon they had one long party after another while on a Road Trip across Asia.

Originally posted by hoghead cheese
Actually I wikied it and they made mention that they may be burial jars. They even said they have found skeletons of children in them, I don't buy it. For those things to weigh tons and have to be formed on the outside and formed on the inside...

So why would any of that have been impossible for the inhabitants of the reason? Why is the evidence pointing to the jars being associated with funerary customs wrong?

just a thought:

could these 'jars' have been for the storing of grain? - they also apparently had lids - stone to keep out the rodents

the funerary idea is plausible as well - that's why they were in groups like a cemetery or sacred burial ground

< shrug > idk



[edit on 16-4-2010 by Emptiness Dancing]

There is a long string of archaeological excavations going back to the 1930's that support the site as a burial ground, with the jars simply being neolithic versions of modern-day urns. Discoveries supporting this include a cave that served as a crude crematorium.

Plain of Jars

Intriguing, to be sure, but not a really huge mystery. It's provenance is very well documented.

[edit on 16-4-2010 by D.E.M.]

Possibly rain catchers for the trade route. That would mean you would not have to load yourself down with water and could carry more merchandise. They are huge though. Maybe to hold more water? Interesting. Star and Flag.

Originally posted by D.E.M.
There is a long string of archaeological excavations going back to the 1930's that support the site as a burial ground, with the jars simply being neolithic versions of modern-day urns. Discoveries supporting this include a cave that served as a crude crematorium.

Plain of Jars

Intriguing, to be sure, but not a really huge mystery. It's provenance is very well documented.

[edit on 16-4-2010 by D.E.M.]

Thanks for the info that answers some questions, the only thing that I can think of is that using the jars as burial urns may have just been an adaptation from their original use depending on the age of the jars.

I was also thinking that they could have been used to store water or food like some of the other previous posters mentioned due to the way they were laid out along certain routes.

reply to post by TV_Nation
Thank you for sharing never heard of this. I won't speculate because there is many possibilities as to what they were for, ritualistic, water, food, large pestel & morter etc.

reply to post by baddmove

No clue here but thanks for posting these, i wonder if they were for collecting water ? It said they were found basicaly in a straight line for several miles, maybe back then water was hard to find so the "jars" were there to collect rain water..hmmmm

The lids for these jars are also quite mysterious looking. They have as much texture and ancient feel to them as Stonehenge.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/303f775f692b.jpg[/atsimg]


Í don't claim to know what these were for but I just like to point out that if for water storage why do some have lids.






[edit on 16-4-2010 by acrux]

reply to post by TV_Nation


Actually, I agree. My original hypothesis (before stumbling across that info) was that the jars were Cisterns on a major route, and the spiral designs on the lid served to catch water and direct it down through a spout into the jar (Thus keeping wind-blown debris out of the water). The large number would be explained by it being a truly major route.

The existing evidence points to it as a burial ground, however.

COOOOKIEEEEEE!!!!!




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reply to post by D.E.M.


Yea but wikipedia is open source, so we could all add our own veiws..not buying it..sorry...

If they were used for water..why are they all in one spot...looks like the giants had a keg party, they all got drunk and passed out..left all their cups laying around..just like real life men..lol

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch



They are not all in one place. The info that I posted says that they are scattered in over 400 locations. who knows

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch


Hey..i was at that party.
i resemble that remark..hic!

reply to post by TV_Nation


I know, I know..but some of the pics..theres LOTS Of them all in one place..I understand they are scattered around It is a mystery..but someday, thousands of years from now, someone will find an Xbox, and wonder what we used it for..was it a burial pod!!

Originally posted by baddmove
reply to post by Yummy Freelunch

 

Hey..i was at that party.
i resemble that remark..hic!

HAHA you must be ONE TALL DRINK!!! Or you have some popeye muscles to be able to lift that to your mouth! O.O