Scientists have discovered as many as 65 ancient jars made of sandstone in India. In it was a huge urn and it was suspected of being used for burial. However, it’s all just guesswork, don’t know what it’s used for, who made it? Could they somehow be connected to similar jars found in Laos?

Found the jars

The enigmatic ancient jars have been unearthed across four new sites in Assam. According to what has been unearthed, the 65 newly discovered sandstone jars vary in shape and decoration, with some tall and cylindrical, and others partly or fully buried in the ground.

Similar vases have been discovered in Laos and Indonesia, some of which are up to 3 meters high and 2 meters wide.

Jar of corpses

The 1,000-year-old jars of Laos have confused scientists, not knowing what it is used for. Experts believe they are related to the disposal of dead bodie.

In 2021 scientists studied more jars and discovered some of these buried ceramic vases contained skeletons of infants and children.

What do archaeologists say?

“We still don’t know who made the giant jars or where they lived. It’s all a bit of a mystery,” ANU Ph.D. student Nicholas Skopal said.

“There are stories from the Naga people, the current ethnic groups in north-east India, of finding the Assam jars filled with cremated remains, beads and other material artifacts,” Skopal said. This theory aligns with findings from the other jar sites in countries including Laos, which are also tied to burial rituals.

It seems as though there aren’t any living ethnic groups in India associated with the jars, which means there is an importance to maintain the cultural heritage.