Editing History of Laos (section)

===Plain of Jars===
From the 8th century BCE to as late as the 2nd century CE, an inland trading society emerged on the [[Xiangkhouang Plateau|Xieng Khouang Plateau]], around the [[megalithic]] site called the [[Plain of Jars]]. The plain, nominated as a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 1992, is being cleared from unexploded ordnance, since 1998. The jars, stone [[sarcophagi]] dating from the early [[Iron Age]] (500 BCE to 800 CE), contained evidence of human remains, burial goods, and ceramics. Some sites contain more than 250 individual jars. The tallest jars are more than {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} in height. The jars and the existence of iron ore in the region suggest that the creators of the site engaged in profitable overland trade.<ref name="Viravond">{{cite web |url = http://www.reninc.org/bookshelf/history_of_laos_viravong.pdf |title = History of laos  |author = Maha Sila Viravond  |access-date = 29 December 2017 |publisher = Refugee Educators' Network }}</ref><ref name="Manich">{{cite web |url = http://www.reninc.org/bookshelf/history_of_laos_manich.pdf |title = History of Laos (including the history of Lonnathai, Chiangmai)  |author = M.L. Manich |access-date = 29 December 2017 |publisher = Refugee Educators' Network }}</ref>