Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Stone Jars

Thursday, April 8

Plain of Jars

Location: Xiangkhoang Plateau, Laos
More than 2,000 large ancient stone jars are spread across a plateau in Central Laos. Some stand 10 feet tall and weigh several tons. Archaeologists estimate the jars are 2,000 years old, but their purpose is unclear. The most common theories are that they were used as funeral urns.

What do you think these urns were for?


Have a great day!
Kindest Regards,
Lilli

Today’s Laos market offers live chickens in round baskets. Other products also are offered in jars or baskets.

ø =256/81. I used the symbol for engineering diameter of a circle=phi, because I can’t find the phi symbol on my journal. Anyway, phi mathematics dates back to Egypt at about 650 B.C. . Credit is given to a scribe named Ahnes.

People have always been fascinated with circles. Ancient civilizations molded jars to carry food and water from clay sources. The round jar is easier to make than a rectangle or a square with corners. Maybe it lasts longer too.

Many Laotians are Buddhist. They use cremation for burial. Buddha appeared on the scene sometime around 650 B.C.

I think the use of stone jars as a place to honor the dead is a worthwhile thought. Cremation serves the purpose of controlling disease passed from bodies that are decomposing in a tropical climate.

It appears, that the stone jars were carved from boulders laying on the side of a mountain where the quarry was. The jars were carved with metal tools by hand. An awesome kind of dedication to the work would have been needed. A good question is how were they moved to the different locations? No one has come forth with an answer yet. Except, most of them are round so may be people just gathered to roll them once they were finished.

I came across a You Tube entry that says THE SECRET WAR waged from 1964 -1973 caused a lot of damage to at least Jar Site one. Also the amount of bombs dropped on this jar site still causes the site to be dangerous; although the site is regularly scoured for bombs. There are 85 different jar sites.

Site one being the site of trenches used as cover for fighters made me wonder if this site was chosen in the hopes that ancestors interred would be helpful in the battles? Site one is on and near a mountain. The trenches circle the bottom of the mountain.

Perhaps an ancient battle took place here at another time and the jars were used as cover for the warriors? I can see them each with whatever weapon stock was needed popping up and shooting arrows, throwing stones, or blowing darts from dart guns at the enemy all the while safe inside a granite or sandstone jar.

As big as each jar is and as heavy as they are I can also imagine people using them as places to pray or prisons for the manic part of the society.

Laos has a tropical climate. The coolness of rock could also indicate an ability to store grains or food sources and keep possessions safe from jungle creatures.

In any event, I would have to believe the scientists who put forth a theory of cremation were possibly accurate because they examined the site in person.

The lids are extremely heavy and have pictures on the top. Scientist believe they are monuments to the interred dead.

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