Assam Study Finds Mysterious, Giant Jars Apparently Used For Burial Rituals

A team of researchers has recently discovered giant, mysterious jars which may have been used for burial rituals. The jars have been unearthed across four new sites in Assam, India.

Mysterious jars at Herakilo site, Assam | Credit: Australian National University

New Delhi: A team of researchers has recently discovered giant, mysterious jars which may have been used for burial rituals. The jars have been unearthed across four new sites in Assam, India.

The findings of the study, led by Tilok Thakuria, from North-Eastern Hill University, and Uttam Bathari, from Gauhati University, were recently published in the Journal of Asian Archaeology. The Assamese researchers collaborated with scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) to conduct the study.

Sandstone Jars Varying In Shape And Decoration Discovered

As many as 65 sandstone jars, which vary in shape and decoration, have been discovered. Some jars are tall and cylindrical, while others are partly or fully buried in the ground.

Stone jars are a unique archaeological phenomenon in Assam. Similar features are also present in the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Indonesia. Some of them spanned up to three metres high and two metres wide.

According to the study, megalithic sites in Assam were first noted in the early twentieth century. Systematic recording commenced in 2014, following a collaborative effort from the North-Eastern Hill University, Nagaland University, and the Archaeological Survey of India. 

Quoting Nicholas Skopal, one of the study authors, a statement issued by ANU said that the researchers still do not know who made the giant jars or where they lived. He said it is all a "bit of a mystery."

The Jars Were Apparently Associated With Mortuary Practices

The researchers have no clue about what the giant jars were used for, and believe that the jars were apparently associated with mortuary practices.

Skopal said there are stories from the Naga people, of finding Assam jars filled with cremated remains, beads, and other material artefacts.

The jars found in countries including Laos were also linked to burial rituals.

The scientists discovered the new jar sites when they began exploring some densely forested regions. 

According to the researchers, the surveying and reporting of these sites is of great importance in regards to heritage management in India.

"The longer we take to find them, the greater chance that they will be destroyed, as more crops are planted in these areas and the forests are cut down," Skopal said.

In order to uncover potential jar sites, the researchers worked with local communities on the ground.

The study also presented the results of a 2020 survey across Dima Hasao Province, Assam, which led to the documentation of four previously unreported megalithic jar sites. After this, the number of known megalithic jar sites increased from seven to 11. 

Skopal said that once the sites have been recorded, it becomes easier for the government to work with the local communities to protect and maintain them so they are not being destroyed.