评论
打印
A new group of human remains has been uncovered on the Plain of Jars in Laos.
老挝石缸平原新出土了一组人类遗骸。
They are believed to date back to the Iron Age, some 2,500 years ago.
这些遗骸可能来自于2500年前的铁器时代。
The Plain of Jars is in the central Lao province of Xieng Khouang.
石缸平原位于老挝中部的川圹省。
The area covers hundreds of kilometers in which can be found thousands of ancient stone jars.
平原绵延数百公里，那里遍布着数以千计的古石缸。
They are grouped together at about 100 sites.
石缸遗址加起来约100处。
The Plain of Jars has been a puzzle for archaeologists—scientists who study prehistoric people and their culture.
一直以来，石缸平原成为考古学家心中的难解之谜，这些考古学家是研究史前人类及史前文化的专业人士。
A joint research team from Australia and Laos found the remains.
澳大利亚和老挝组成的联合考古队发掘出了这些残骸。
Dougald O'Reilly teaches archaeology at Australian National University.
杜格尔德·欧莱利是澳大利亚国立大学的考古教授。
He led the field work in Laos.
他主导了这次老挝的考古工作。
"Ths is one of the great enigmas of the Jars' sites," he said.
他说，"这次发现的遗址解开了石缸平原多年的谜团。
"These massive stone jars—some of them weighing up to 10 metric tons,that have been dragged 8 to 10 kilometers from a quarry site and set up in groups."
"这些石缸体积很大，有些重达10吨，已经将这些石缸从采石场搬到了8-10公里外的地方，并且做了分类整理。"
Little is known about the people who made the jars.
这些石缸的主人不得而知。
What did the jars hold?
石缸是用来盛什么的呢？
How and why did people place them?
人们是怎么样放置石缸的，为什么这样放置呢？
Where they did?
人们又是在哪里放置这些石缸的？
O'Reilly said a central question that needs to be answered is who created the stone jars.
欧莱利称，究竟是谁建造了石缸是目前需要解决的首要问题。
There are no known sites offering answers to the ethnicity and identity of the people who made them.
但目前尚未发现有利于调查石缸主人的种族或身份问题的遗址。
The latest field work uncovered an ancient burial ground in an area known as Site 1, in Xieng Khouang Province.
近期考古者在川圹省1号遗址发现了古代墓地。
It has more than 300 stone jars, stone discs and markers.
墓地里分布着300多个石缸、石盘以及一些标记符号。
The scientists uncovered different burial methods.
科学家还发现了不同的埋葬方式。
They include burial of whole bodies, the burying of bones grouped together, and bones placed inside ceramic vessels and then buried.
有的是埋葬整个躯体，有的是将骨头归类后埋葬，而有的将骨头置于陶瓷容器后埋葬。
Louise Shewan of Monash University in Australia led one of the teams involved in the field work.
澳大利亚莫纳什大学的路易斯·谢瓦担任此次实地考察工作小组的负责人之一。
Archaeologist Thonglith Luangkhoth, of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, also led a research team.
考古学家通立·銮科斯在老挝新闻部及文化旅游部工作，他也带领了一个研究小组。
Thonglith told Lao media that newly uncovered remains were found about eight kilometers from the center of Phonsavanh district.
銮科斯告知老挝媒体，人类残骸是在距离丰沙湾区8公里以外的地方发现的。
"This discovery marks a significant milestone since archaeological excavations began in the area in the 1930s in collaboration with a French archaeologist," he said.
他说，"这次考古发现具有重大的里程碑意义，这个地区的考古发掘是从20世纪30年代与一名法国考古学家的合作开始的。"
Dougald O'Reilly said the researchers hope to get really good information from the find.
杜格尔德·欧莱利表示，研究人员希望从此次发现中找到有利信息。
"With our research, because we've been able to uncover a fair amount of human bone,
"因为通过调查研究，我们已经能够发掘出大量人类残骸，
we've got seven burials and four probable burials with ceramic jars, so a total of 11 mortuary contexts."
还找到了7座墓葬，以及4座可能用陶瓷缸安置的墓葬，总共有11座墓葬。"
He said they are excited to have the opportunity to work at one of South East Asia's more important—and probably least understood archaeological sites.
他表示，能在东南亚如此重要却鲜为人知的考古遗址工作，他们非常兴奋。
Scientists will do isotopic and chemical tests on the remains.
科学家们将对残骸物进行同位素测试及化学测验。
They may provide information on the ethnicity of the people connected to the sites.
残骸可能会告诉我们一些与遗址有关的种族地位等信息。
O'Reilly said it is possible that the Lao sites may be linked to similar jar sites in India.
欧莱利称，老挝石缸平原遗址疑与印度石缸遗址有某种关联。
The Australian Research Council is paying for the project.
澳大利亚研究委员会为该项目研究提供资金支持。
It will continue over five years with field work in Laos and some in northeastern India as well.
项目研究周期或超过五年，还会在老挝和印度东北部进行实地考察工作。
The effort may soon provide answers to one of Southeast Asia's greatest cultural mysteries.
不久的未来，科学家们就能解开东南亚最大的文化谜团了。
I'm Anne Ball.
我是安妮·波尔。
本栏目视频字幕与文本并不完全对应，且视频播放缓冲时间较长，敬请谅解！
