Megaliths and Mystery

Standing for possibly thousands of years, the upright slabs of stone at Hin Tang, in Hua Phan Province, Northern Laos, are eerily silent about where they came from.

Having spent some time wandering around Britain's stone circles and ancient menhirs in churchyards and cow paddocks, I was intrigued by a carved standing stone in the National Museum in Vientiane. It had come from Luang Nam Tha in Northern Laos. Then I heard about the stones in Hua Phan. As I was heading for Sam Neua (in Hua Phan Province) for the Xieng Xai caves anyway, I set my sights on a trip to Hin Tang. Clara cheerfully tagged along.

Irreverently standing on top of something that was once revered

Big slabs of stone, many around the size of a human, some much shorter, some much larger, stand strong and silent in several areas along the ridge of the mountain range. There are also deep holes in the ground scattered amongst them with carefully shaped circular stone lids. Apparently these were graves.



No one seems very sure about who put them there, when and why. There are around 20 clusters of these stones dotted along the ten kilometre ridge. Some things I read suggested they are older than the nearby Plain of Jars - possibly 1000-500 BC. So it's assumed these were placed by the ancestors of the jar people, some of the earliest inhabitants of South East Asia.

Kids catching cicadas

Another report suggested they were only 1000 years old. Who knows? I go for the "older is more interesting" approach so I like to think they are really ancient.

A local from the nearby Hmong village on her way home from the fields

1000 BCE was a time when my own ancestors were carving stones with flint axes; erecting rocks in circles on hills, fighting blue-faced tribes from the north; worshipping gods and goddesses of the sun and moon, and praying for the fertility of their land and their womenfolk. Important people were buried in mounds sealed with slabs of rock; bronze and iron were about to launch onto the scene and revolutionise my ancestors' lives.



circular grave lid

Things weren't so different here in Hua Phan. Stones were erected to mark something important, people were buried in holes marked with carefully carved circular rock lids. Unfortunately for history nerds, not much else these people did remains.

kids with sticks

Apart from the local cicada collecting kids and a couple of locals walking past with cows or baskets, there was no one else around.  We wandered and I took a lot of photos.

Cicada catcher

The excavation by the French in 1931 was the last time any major work was done in the area. Most Tourists to Laos don't know about this historic site and probably most wouldn't be interested anyway (The Plain of Jars is so much more photogenic and easier to get to!). Most Laos I have spoken to have never heard of this place. The tourist sign that describes what this place is and how the French researched and excavated is now decrepit and illegible. It seems like no one has cared about this place for decades. 



The decrepit information sign



It wasn't easy to organise the trip but I was intrigued and determined. We travelled 60 kms from Sam Neua to get to the most accessible cluster. The stones are marketed through a couple of brochures and a few posters in hotels. The rain had started so the road was potentially difficult. We had to hassle a bit to convince a driver to take us. It was worth it.



 

There is a local legend that explains the stones. It's a story about giants, magical axes and fighting kings. A familiar story to explain the unexplained.  I've heard it before - usually located in northern Europe but I bet every continent has their own versions.

I wonder what the locals really think. Is it just a part of their landscape - something a little unusual but not really worth mentioning? Or are they proud and curious and amazed by how cultures the world over have independently developed similar methods for marking their land, their beliefs and their ancestors? Are they telling their friends in Vientiane when they travel down for the That Luang festival "I'm from Hin Tang, just near the standing stones. You know, those giant menhirs erected by a rich, mysterious and ancient culture that once walked the same earth that we now do?".

I hope so. I hope people realise how fantastic this stuff is. How despite thousands (or maybe only hundreds... who knows?) of years, there are remnants of societies scattered around the world that remind us they were here; they lived; they did stuff; they helped progress us along the timeline to where we are now. Thanks guys. Your rocks rock. (Those holes with lids askew are a bit scary though.)

Concentrate! Don't fall in!

I found a really informative web page that talked about these menhirs at Hin Tang Archaeological Park so if you are keen to know more - see here: http://www.exploguide.com/site/hua-phan-menhirs-hintang-houamuang-xam-nua  but, again, take it with a grain of salt. No one is truly sure about what, where, when and why. Which is all part of the magic.