Ancient burial ground discovery adds to jar mystery »

One theory is that they were used to decompose the bodies. Later, after the flesh was removed the remains may have been buried around the jars. Archaeologists from The Australian National University (ANU) have unearthed an ancient burial ground at one of Asia's most mysterious sites - the Plain of Jars in Laos. The team led by Dr Dougald O'Reilly of the ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology, discovered human remains estimated to be 2,500 years old which they hope will shed some light on those buried at the site. The project in central Laos is the first major archaeological dig since the 1930s at any of the 90 sites that make up the Plain of Jars. The sites feature ancient carved stone jars up to three metres tall, but their purpose remains a mystery.   "This will be the first major effort since the 1930s to attempt to understand the purpose of the jars and who created them," Dr O'Reilly said.