<< Our Photo Pages >> Hintang Archaeological Park - Standing Stones in Laos
Submitted by AlexAssa on Wednesday, 01 February 2017 Page Views: 3029
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Hintang Archaeological Park Alternative Name: Suan Hin TangCountry: Laos
NOTE: This site is 382.342 km away from the location you searched for.
Type: Standing Stones
Nearest Town: Na Thong Nearest Village: Xam Neua
Latitude: 20.419045N Longitude: 104.067120E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Standing Stones in Laos
(Hintang megalithic sites)
Another mysterious ancient site like the enigmatic Plain of Jars lies in the very east of north Laos: it's the megalithic menhirs of Hintang Archaeological Park. The park consists of 72 different sites in the jungle with alltogether around 1,500 menhirs - that's upright standing, long-shaped, pillar-like stones, hewn of schist. Additionally there are huge stone discs placed on the ground. The discs serve as closing lids for the entrances to underground chambers. It's supposed by archeologists that the site was an ancient burial place.
The menhirs of Hintang are certainly not the most spectacular thing one get's to see in his life. Nevertheless the site has it's charme. It's mysterious and far away from the beaten tourist track. Image by Asienreisender, 2006
Hintang Archeological Landscape's megalithic culture is dated back 2,000 to 3,000 years. That's roughly about the same age of the culture of the Plain of Jars, and there could have been a connection between both. However, it's very little explored by archeologists yet. That is partially so because the site is of smaller significance and less spectacular as other sites like Luang Prabang, Champasak or the Plain of Jars; besides it's suffering under contamination of unexploded ordnance (UXO, see also: 'Bombs on Laos').
Visiting the Hintang 'stone gardens' won't kick you into the orbit - it's nothing spectacular. You only see the menhirs in small groups standing in the nature. Access to the underground chambers is not possible.
There is also nothing done yet to preserve the sites. There is open access, no fence, no guard, no nothing to save them. The only hint to their historical meaning are a few signs with explanations (in English). The erosion process due to weather influences are obvious. The existing remains certainly look very different than they did in ancient times. The people who shaped them did that presumably with effort and care.
The intensive bombing by the US Air Force in the American Vietnam War also damaged the landscape heavily and partially the sites.
It can also be that locals or influencial Laotians take here and there a menhir away to put them elsewhere. That happens with the urns at the Plain of Jars at least.
Menhirs of Hintang
Another site with menhirs and some discs. The tallest menhir shows a graffiti (hardly to see on the small picture. It's written in English...). Image by Asienreisender, 2006
The stone gardens of Hintang were first researched in 1931 by an archaeological team led by Madeleine Colani (who did also the first researches on the Plain of Jars). Inside the burial chambers the archaeologists found very little: rough ceramic funeral urns, some stone objects for ceremonial use, some simple bronze bracelets... The findings are now in the Laotian National Museum in Vientiane. After the Colani expedition there was no further excavation done until today.
Since the menhirs mark the places so clearly, it's probable that tomb raiders found their way to them in the time the ancient culture wasn't anymore.
More details at /www.asienreisender.de/hintang.html and megalithica.ru
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