An archaeological survey of the Assam stone jar sites

Stone jars are a unique archaeological phenomenon in Assam, India, with similar features also present in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Indonesia. Sites in Assam were first noted in the early twentieth century, with systematic recording not commencing until 2014 by a collaborative effort from the North-Eastern Hill University, Nagaland University and the Archaeological Survey of India. In a continuation of this effort, this paper presents the results of a 2020 survey across Dima Hasao Province, Assam, India which led to the documentation of four previously unreported megalithic jar sites, growing the number from seven to eleven known jar sites, with ten geolocated. In addition, a general discussion of the known jar sites to date is conducted regarding distribution and jar characteristics.