Plain of Jars, Archaeological site with megalithic jars in Xiangkhouang Province, Laos
The Plain of Jars contains over 2,000 stone containers scattered across multiple sites, with individual jars measuring up to three meters in height.
Archaeologists date the creation of these sandstone vessels between 500 BCE and 500 CE, linking them to Iron Age burial practices in Southeast Asia.
Research indicates the jars served as ceremonial vessels for storing human remains, with different arrangements possibly reflecting social status in ancient communities.
Visitors access the site through the town of Phonsavan, with Site 1 offering the largest collection of 400 jars spread across 90 hectares.
Each stone jar weighs several tons and features precise carving techniques without modern tools, demonstrating advanced engineering capabilities of ancient civilizations.
Location: Xiangkhouang Province
GPS coordinates: 19.43111,103.15250
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:21
This collection presents extraordinary natural phenomena and geological formations across all continents, from salt flats and volcanic crater fields to underground cave systems and landscapes shaped by mineral deposits. The featured sites display rare geological processes: moving stones leave mysterious tracks across California desert playas, methane gas feeds flames in a Turkmenistan crater for decades, and thermal springs create white travertine terraces in the Turkish countryside. Coral reefs form circular structures off the coast of Belize, while chemical reactions turn lakes pink in Australia and rivers brilliant colors in Colombia. The geological features include hexagonal basalt columns along the Northern Irish coast, conical limestone hills on Philippine islands, and mushroom shaped sandstone formations in Utah. Caves in New Zealand house thousands of bioluminescent larvae, while one of the world's largest caverns lies beneath Vietnamese mountains. Locations range from a geyser studded desert basin in Nevada to red algae carpets along Chinese shores to isolated islands off the Yemeni coast with endemic flora. This collection encompasses both ancient archaeological puzzles like stone jars in Laos and ground drawings in Peru, as well as natural optical illusions such as apparent underwater cascades off Mauritius.
Southeast Asia contains geological formations, coral reefs and ancient temples. The destinations include Lake Toba volcanic lake in Indonesia, Wat Rong Khun Buddhist temple in Thailand and the historical city of Luang Prabang in Laos. The region contains the Banaue Rice Terraces, Komodo National Park and Belitung Island.
Laos combines Buddhist temples, waterfalls and caves. The temple complexes display religious art and architecture from different periods. The natural areas include waterfalls like Kuang Si, cave systems like Tham Kong Lo and mountain ranges with views over the Mekong. The country preserves its cultural and geological features.
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