Former Lake at Plain of Jars Theory - Plain of Jars Lake by Hobo Maps - Go Back to Plain of Jars Info Page -- - - HOME

The existance of a former lake at the Plain of Jars (PDJ) seems natural when viewing a topographic map HERE that shows a large lower flat area. Satellite image of the PDJ supports this suspicion HERE.

If you are on the high ground at Jar Site 2 in the wet season and look down and out across the large flat area below it's easy to visualize that lower area as mostly filled with water. There is only one outflow river for the PDJ area and blockage at that 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.

The map below shows what a former lake on the PDJ may have looked like based on elevation readings courtesy of Google Earth in 2014. It shows how much area of the Plain of Jars a former lake may have covered at two different water levels. The maps show what a new lake at PDJ would look like if a new dam was constructed on the Nam Kho river and a lake was formed with surface levels 1 meter and 4 meters respectively above the old lakebed.

At the higher water level Jar Site 1 would become an island. We can see how easy it would be to use rafts to carry heavy jars on the lake from the Phou Keng quarry site to within 20 meters of Jar Site 1 Lower Level.

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

Former Lake Quote - one source that mentions there may have been a former lake at the PDJ is presented in the image below but it apparently is no longer on a website and I can't provide a link - this may have come from the DED website or the STDP website but I haven't been able to find it recently.

-------

another Former Lake Quote is from an agricultural study article shown below 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