LOTHAL is the third largest, after Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, of all the Harappan sites excavated till date. It is situated 83 km (53 mil) south-west of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. It was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India under the leadership of renowned archaeologist Dr. S. R. Rao between 1955 and 1962.
Lothal was a thriving port city between 2500 and 1900 B.C. It was a sheltered port connected to the Gulf of Cambay, which has receded westward since, by a broad river called Sabarmati. The river provided access to the hinterland of the western part of India, where many other Harappan towns existed at the time. A large dockyard, capable of harboring a large number of ships, was unearthed during the early period of the excavation.
The dockyard was built with high quality baked bricks, strong enough to withstand the elements of weather, water flow, and wear and tear of transport activities. The most unique feature of the dockyard was its water locking system. Once in the dockyard, the lock protected the ships from the tides and ebbs of the gulf water as well as the floods of the river. So far Archeologists have not found such an engineering device, devised and built 4000 years ago, anywhere else in the world.
The dockyard as it looks today is filled by monsoon water. The gulf has receded far away from Lothal. Probably ships like this one carried trade between Lothal and rest of the world.
