Lao Pako: A Late Prehistoric Site on the Nam Ngum River in Laos

Report of the 1995 and 1996 excavations at the site of Lao Pako, situated c. 40 km from Vientiane at the bank of Nâm Ngum River in Laos. The artefacts and other material give evidence of many different kinds of activities going on about 1600 years ago. The importance of the site in manufacturing of or trading with pottery is indicated by the 45 complete buried jars and 270 kilos of pottery sherds. Further finds include slag, iron artefacts etc. The inhabitants belonged to the same large cultural group as those occupying sites such as Ban Na Di, Ban Chiang and Ban Chiang Han. This culture is distinctively different to groups living at the same time in southern China.