Cities and regions／Laos
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Plain of Jars

The Plain of Jars is an Iron Age archaeological landscape associated with funerary practices dating to roughly 500 BCE–500 CE. Groups of jars, stone discs and other remains are spread across hills and rural surroundings.

Stone jars and a tree at Site 1 of the Plain of Jars, Laos.
Photo by Dominic Nelson Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0
The place

What makes it special

  • Site 1 gives a first sense of the scale of the groups and contains one of the largest jars.
  • Sites 2 and 3 offer a comparison of the jars with the surrounding hills and fields.
  • Stone discs, secondary burials and quarries add to the archaeological picture.
Stone jars among trees on a hill at Site 2 of the Plain of Jars.
Photo by Aepplertrinker Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Plain of Jars
Photo by Adam Jones Adam63 Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0
Travel atlas

Articles in Plain of Jars

Guides to this place

2 articles

Plain of Jars

journal.travel Editorial

Guides to this place

2 related guides

Marked visitor path among stone jars at the Plain of Jars.

The Plain of Jars from Phonsavan: Three Sites and a Clear Boundary

Sites 1, 2 and 3 offer an introduction to the archaeology of the Plain of Jars without turning a landscape shaped by war into an improvised excursion.

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Stone jars and a tree at Site 1 of the Plain of Jars, Laos.

Visiting Sites 1, 2 and 3 of the Plain of Jars

The jars are not something you take in all at once: Site 1 provides scale and context, while Sites 2 and 3 offer landscape and contrast. The important decision, however, is not how many sites to add, but recognising that marked routes are an essential part of a responsible visit.

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Information in context

Sources and references

This profile summarises our destination guides. Their research sources and the geographical reference are listed below.

Profile updated: 28/09/2026