Page 18 - Demo

18|April 2020
Slippery rock GAzette
Plain of Jars
Continued from page 16
It’s theorized the traders would boil the water over open fires to make it drinkable. Then they would leave beads or other trinkets at the site as thanks and/or payment.
Another theory is that the jars were used as food storage by the local population (not the giants), and to help deter plundering by animals. This one idea is linked to the fact that even though many of the jars were fashioned to have lids, so few lids were found. It is thought that the majority of lids were made of non-stone material so they would not weigh as much. That way they would be easier to move when necessary.
It is also thought that the jars were used in ancient burial prac- tices. The deceased was placed in a jar during the beginning stages of the funeral process so its soul could make the transfer from earth to the heavens. Once the soul trans- fer was complete, the burial ritual would continue. This particular idea seems to be the most popu- lar and accepted use of the jars, a theory that is borne out by ongoing archaeological exploration of the different sites.
Of all the jar sites found, only a few can be visited at this time. Only three sites and the local quarry have been cleared for visitors. The other sites are considered unsafe as they are still littered with unex- ploded cluster bombs dropped on the countryside during the 1960s. Work is ongoing to clear these other sites so that one day tourists and others will be able to visit all the sites. Currently, an innovative use of drone photography and 3D mapping give a safer avenue of ex- ploration for researchers.
Whether you believe in war-mon- gering giants, ancient burial rituals or something in between, the mys- tery of the Plain of Jars remains to this day—a modern mystery rooted in ancient stone times.
Please send your thoughts on this article to Sharon Koehler at Sharon@asdrva.rocks.
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