Plain of Jars & U.X.O.

Close to Phonsavan are the archaeological sites known collectively as the ‘Plain of Jars.’ There are thousands of these stone jars made from limestone, granite and sandstone, all carved by hand. Some are truly massive, others are only a metre high and they date from 500 BC to 500 AD. That’s about all that’s known about them. Are they burial urns? Water storage for ancient land caravans? Made for storing sacred rice wine? No one knows, and probably never will.

Harry reckons they were for storing toys when they didn’t like them any more.
Maisie reckons they were for storing grain and rice.
Marcelle likes the rice wine idea.
I think they were ancient rechargable batteries for giant stone age robots.

Adding to the air of oddness is the fact that the plain of jars saw some horrendous fighting during the Vietnam war and the area is pockmarked with bomb craters and scarred with trenches. Jai, our driver jokes that the Americans gave every member of Laos a present of a bomb. The population of Laos during the war was 3 million, which is the estimated number dropped on Laos, making it one of the most bombed countries in the world. Especially chilling, as Laos was never at war with America, and many of the bombs were dropped on their way back from bombing runs with no intended targets.

Across this part of Laos we see numerous bomb craters and bomb disposal teams who are still clearing the U.X.O (unexploded ordinance) thirty years later. Maisie spotted these shells at a Shell Petrol Station when we stopped to fill up. Please switch of engine, mobile phones and cluster bombs...