Former Lake at Plain of Jars - HoboMaps.com - Go to Plain of Jars Info Page - - - Home

The existance of a former lake at the Plain of Jars (PDJ) seems likely after viewing the topographic map below:

A satellite image of the PDJ fully supports this theory as seen on the satellite image below.

If you are on the high ground at Jar Sites 1 and 2 in the wet season and gaze out across the large flat area in the images below it's easy to visualize that lower area as mostly filled with water in the past. The pond seen in the image may be the last surviving remnant of that former much larger lake.

A water flow analysis of the PDJ area and a watershed drainage map of the whole basin as shown on the map below reveals that there is only one outflow river for this area and that any sort of blockage at that sole outlet could create a lake behind it. This critical point is at the Nam Kho River valley northwest of Phonsavanh town as the river flows north between Phou Keng Mountain and the high ground at the kilometer 122 marker on Highway 7.

It is quite easy to see today where the bottom of the former lake was as the area is completely flat with a consistent elevation at 1,095 meters above mean sea level..

The image below shows the area of a lake 1 meter deep with surface water level at elevation 1,096 meters above mean sea level.

At the higher surface water level of 4 meters above the lake bed Jar Site 1 would be entirely on an island.

We can see how easy it would be to use rafts to carry heavy jars from the Phou Keng quarry site to within 20 meters of Jar Site 1 Lower Level on the lake shown above or by water channel transport on the map below.

The map below shows the water drainage system for the entire area around the Plain of Jars (which is at the lower part of the blue-colored area)

Former Lake Quote - one source that mentions a former lake at the PDJ is presented below.

Another Former Lake Quote below is from an agricultural study article with a comment that the PDJ is probably an old lakebed. The article is titled "Some Natural and Induced Grasslands of the Lao PDR" by JB Hacker - below

Map below shows glacial ice flows that may have occured at the Plain of Jars