7th February 2012
A talk and presentation by
Hans Lipp,
Geographer, University of Tuebingen, Germany
The
Plain of Jars Mystery
An early center of mining and metallurgic industry? A thesis with
tourist intentions
Authors: Lipp, Hans, dipl. Geographer (Tuebingen) , Tillmann, Otto
dipl. Geographer (Trier), engineer Ulrich Muenstermann
(Rheinland-Pfalz-State Mining Museum Fischbach / Idar-Oberstein), cand.
Dr. phil. Reinhard Hohler (Heidelberg) .
Phonsavan1 is a spacious, scattered settlement situated at 1100 metres
above sea level, in a high valley of the Annam Coastal Cordillera. The
intersection point of historical caravan routes between the Northern
Thai kingdoms, the Mekong Valley and the Khorat Plateau, with excellent
connections to Yunnan in southern China and Vinh in Vietnam on the Gulf
of Tonkin.
Here, in a largely treeless landscape is located the “Plaine des
Jarres”. Mostly in rows along slopes sometimes in unsorted
clusters, thousands of stone pots made from different materials like
basalt and granite are spread over the region. Many explanations and
legends surround the vessels of varying size. Because organic material
was found only as a kind of later added (second use)
content without original relation to the jars, no accurate dating could
be done. Similarly it was not possible to detect a relationship between
production time and purpose of the equipment.
No intensive research was carried out because the region had remained
unsafe over long periods
of the 20 century. Rebellions and robberies by the Hmong, a hill tribe
settled in the surrounding
mountains and demanding its independence, prevented a more intensive
investigation or development of the region. Even in the 1930’ies
only about 600 people of European origin, with French cizenship where
reported in the whole territory of present-day Laos. There was simply
not......
Read more by clicking "HERE"
(PDF File
for downloading or reading on line - 18 pages)
1 Name of
the new Capital of
the Province of Xieng,Khouang built in late 70th when the town of Xieng
Khouang had been much damaged by bombings.[LG]
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