History

Excavated in 1957, Lothal was originally the site for the lustrous Red Ware culture and famous for its micaceous pottery. Harappans arrived here from the Indus Valley, at the beginning of 2400 BC. Gradually, they spread along the Gulf of Cambay, forming citadels that include the southernmost outposts of the Indus Valley civilisation. Lothal developed as the most important port and a centre of the bead industry until 1900 BC, when a great flood apparently resulted in 300 years of decline. However, the Indus civilisation survived here in the 1600s and 1500s, after which it disappeared from the northern provinces. A 4,000-year-old `modern` dockyard
The first sight that meets a visitor`s eye at Lothal is the massive dockyard, which has made Lothal prominent on the international archaeological map. Thirty-seven meters east to west and nearly 22 meters north to south, the dock was perhaps the greatest work of maritime architecture before the Birth of Christ.

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Archaeological finds from the excavations testify to trade with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The hydraulic knowledge of the ancient Harappans can be judged by the fact that boats could dock at Lothal even in the 1850s. In 1942, the dockyard could hold 30 ships of 60 tons each or 60 ships of 30 tons each. This would be comparable to the modern docks at Visakhapatnam. Among living ruins

As you walk around, you see a planned city with paved streets, an intricate underground drainage system, wells and houses with arrangements for baths. The town was divided into two parts. You can see the lower town, which comprised a bazaar and residential areas for the common folk, a warehouse on a plinth 3 -1/2 meters high, and a dock to the east of the town. The vitality of the Indus Civilisation at Lothal can be judged by the three floods that destroyed much except for the ambitions of the inhabitants, who breached the gaps and rebuilt the important structures on higher platforms of sun-dried bricks. Although precious little of this is left intact at the site, what remains is enough to make the imagination roam.
The Lothal Museum

In the absence of proper guides to show the visitor around Lothal, it is a good idea to first spend some time at the Lothal Museum, studying the plans made by archaeologists in an attempt to reconstruct what Lothal must have been like 4,000 years ago. The museum is open between 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday to Thursdays, and has on display all the archaeological finds.


The map in the museum shows scores of Indus Valley sites scattered across the whole of Gujarat. Lothal was especially famous for its micro-beads used in necklaces, amulets and waistbands. Some as little as 0.25mm in diameter, are a testimony to the science of bead-making perfected by the Indus Valley civilisation, which has not been surpassed by artisans in the Gulf of Cambay today. Seals played an important documentary part in the Harappan economy and more than 200 have survived in Lothal, many of which are masterpieces of glyptic craftsmanship. Commonly portrayed animals are the mythical unicorn, elephant, mountain goat, tiger and the mythical elephant bull. The Harappans of Lothal worshipped the fire-god and the sea-god, but no trace of mother-goddess worship has been found here.

Among the other discoveries are large, beautiful painted jars which can be compared with contemporary ceramics elsewhere. These are strong, consistently fired and realistically painted with depictions of local animals and birds. Other than pottery and bead-making, the Lothal`s other unique contribution to the Harappan culture is a uniform system for weights and measures. Terracotta works such as human figurines, toy bullock carts, spinning tops and marbles evoke the memory of a childhood not far removed from our own. The museum also displays imports like seals from Bahrain, terra cotta figures from Sumeria and objects from Egypt. Principal exports were beads, ivory and shells.
How to get there
Lothal is about 85 km from Ahmedabad, the nearest airport. Buses and cabs ply between the two destinations. If going by train, get off at Bhurkhi station, which is between Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar, and take a bus from there. The archaeological site is 7 km from the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar highway.
Accommodation
Accommodation is scarce in this historic town. The two options are:
Utelia Palace: A renovated turn-of-the- century castle located six miles from the archaeological site, which is expensive.

Toran Tourist Bungalow: This is a middle budget resthouse sponsored by Gujarat Tourism.

The best season to visit Lothal or Gujarat for that matter, is between October and March.
Bureau Report