Lothal
Lothal Harappan Dockyard
Mature Harappan 2450–1900 BCE·Indus Valley / Harappan·🇮🇳 Gujarat, Ahmedabad District, Bhal region, India
About
About Lothal
Harappan port town (2450–1900 BCE) on Sabarmati palaeochannel near Gulf of Khambhat, famed for 37×22 m brick basin interpreted as dockyard and tidal lock. Grid-planned lower town, bead factory with carnelian and shell working, and earliest attested rice cultivation demonstrate maritime trade to Mesopotamia.
Why it mattersHarappan port town (2450–1900 BCE) on Sabarmati palaeochannel near Gulf of Khambhat, famed for 37×22 m brick basin inter
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Was brick basin a true dockyard with tidal lock or an irrigation reservoir?
- 02Cause of siltation and abandonment – river shift or cyclone?
Theories
- 01Rao's dockyard hypothesis supported by tidal range and inlet channel engineering
- 02Reservoir alternative emphasizes water storage for arid Bhal
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.2450 BCE
- Period
- Mature Harappan 2450–1900 BCE
- Culture
- Indus Valley / Harappan
- Purpose
- Port and craft production center linking Indus to Arabian Sea trade
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.2450 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1109 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
22.5250° N · 72.2440° E · 13 m · 3 mapped features
Dockyard / Tidal Basin
dockyardBurnt-brick basin 37x22 m with inlet channel
22.5255° N · 72.2450° EAcropolis storehouses
warehouseMud-brick podium with bead factory debris
22.5260° N · 72.2445° EBead Factory and Cemetery
workshopCarnelian drilling and steatite seal workshop
22.5240° N · 72.2430° E
Gallery