Nicholas Skopal, Baptiste Pradier, Souliya Bounxayhip, Charlie Cooper, Laure Dussubieux, Tate Gregory Devantier-Thomas, Tracey Pilgrim, Steph Van Berkel, David Demko, Frederique Valentin, Jazmin Skopal, Daniel Baker, S. Anna Florin, Cosimo Posth, Geoffrey Clark
Hundreds of large stone vessels can be found dispersed across the Xieng Khouang Plateau in northern Laos. Despite nearly a century of research, their purpose remains uncertain. Here, the authors report on the excavation of the exceptionally large Jar 1 at Site 75, which contains a collective mortuary assemblage of secondary interments. The disarticulated remains of at least 37 individuals hint at the jars’ function within a complex funerary sequence, with direct radiocarbon dating indicating a prolonged period of mortuary activity c . cal AD 890–1160, which was a time of increasing regional interaction and mobility in Southeast Asia.