Recent Research on Megaliths in Lao PDR

Dougald O'Reilly1* and Louise Shewan2

1Australian National University, Australia; 2University of Melbourne, Australia; *dougald.oreilly@anu.edu.au

Since 2016, a joint Lao-Australian research team has undertaken systematic investigation of the Plain of Jars, Xieng Khouang Province, one of Southeast Asia's most enigmatic prehistoric megalithic landscapes. Fieldwork has combined excavation, UAV-surveys, ground-penetrating radar survey, bioarchaeological investigations, isotopic analysis, conservation science and landscape analysis across multiple jar sites, significantly expanding understanding of mortuary practices, site chronology, and the broader cultural context of site use from the late Iron Age until 13 Cnetury AD. Results have revealed new jar sites, associated human remains, and evidence for complex funerary rituals spanning several centuries. In 2025, investigations extended to the Hintang megalithic landscape of Houaphanh Province, where ‘standing stones’ represent a distinct but potentially related megalithic tradition. Excavation at one Hintang site, alongside systematic survey of additional standing stone clusters, has begun to illuminate site function, construction sequences, and regional connections. Together, these projects are transforming our understanding of prehistoric megalithic traditions across upland mainland Southeast Asia.