Lothal

Lothal is a city which belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization of India. The city was inhabited in the pre-Harappan phase, around 3700 BC, and continued to survive long after the decline of the civilization, until 1000 B.C. It is located near the village of Saragwala in the Dholka Taluka of Ahmedabad district, in the western state of Gujarat. Lothal boasts of world's earliest known dockyard, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati River on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra. Thus it throws light on the use of inland waterways for the transportation of goods, which is still of great importance, given India's vast network of rivers and water bodies. Lothal also holds a special place in the maritime history of India's western coast, from where trade was carried out with lands of West Asia and Africa.

The excavations done in Gujarat in the 1950s had revealed the presence of Indus valley sites extending as far south as Saurashtra, with 88 protohistoric sites marked out by ASI. Out of these only six, were found to belong to the mature phase of the Harappa Civilization (2600 – 1900 B.C.), and Lothal was found to be the earliest among them. The excavations at Lothal established beyond doubt that it was a typical Harappan city, marked by the existence of monumental architecture, social stratification, writing and developed artistic styles. It was an urban centre, with trade being the main means of livelihood. The city declined due to the constant onslaughts of tropical storms and floods. The region also suffered from aridity due to weakened monsoon. However, its culture remained alive and gradually merged into that of the period that followed, without showing any signs of an abrupt break in its continuity.

Lothal was an urban settlement which had all the typical features of the Harappan cities. A large part of its population engaged in trade and craftsmanship. The traders had dealings in places as far of as the West Asia and Africa, and also with South India. The town is famous for its dockyard, the presence of which proves that that people of the Indus Valley civilization were more seafaring and nautically adept than what was thought of them before its discovery. The commercial contact that Lothal had with South India resulted in the spread of certain distinctive features of the Harappan civilization there. Craftsmen formed another major chunk of the population who were experts at making beads, gemstones, ivory and shell items. Artistic and tastefully decorated gold jewellery, ornaments and metal ware that have been discovered in this area, points to the great material prosperity of the people of Lothal.

A significant find of items bears testimony to the artistic achievements of Lothal. Bead-makers used advanced techniques to produce double-eye beads of agate, collared or gold-capped beads of jasper and carnelian beads. More than 200 seals have been discovered here, which, for the first time, give evidence of their use in sealing. Metalwork of Lothal was quite superior as the copper used here was purer than used elsewhere, as it was free from arsenic. Terracotta items, gold ornaments and jewellery, and chank shell items such gamesmen, beads, unguent vessels, ladles, and inlays were made here. Ivory was used for making boxes, combs, rods, inlays, and ear-studs. The discovery of two new types of pottery items, a convex bowl with or without a stud handle, and a small jar with flaring rim, and the realistic style of painting found on them, suggest the intermingling of the Harappans with the existing local cultures.

The presence of fire altars, found both in houses and in public areas, suggest the worship of a fire god. The discovery of charred remains of various items indicates that sacrifices were offered at the altars. There is also evidence of animal worship. However, there seems to be no evidence of the worship of the Mother Goddess. The burial practices of Lothal reveals what the people thought about life after death. The arrangement of burials here is not as systematic as found at other Harappan cities. This suggests that once the burial was done it was thought that the body had passed into its afterlife and there was no need to maintain the sanctity of the grave. The most interesting finds are the three multiple burials. It is suggested that this indicates the practice of Sati, but the presence of two male skeletons in one grave creates a doubt about this.

Lothal was a well-planned city, just like all the other cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. It was built on a pre-Harappan settlement which had been destroyed by floods. All the construction were done with fire dried bricks, lime and sand mortar and not with sun-dried bricks. As a result, the bricks have been found to be intact even after 4000 years and are still bonded with each other with the mortar. The city was surrounded by 12-21 meter thick peripheral wall to protect it against repeated tidal floods and storms. However, in 2050 B.C., when there was a slackening in the upkeep of the wall, a flood of moderate intensity made led to the weakening of the town structures. The main architectural remains found here are the upper town, the lower town, the dockyard, the warehouse and the bead factory. The dockyard is the most unique structure of this place.

The excavation of Lothal was done by S.R. Rao of the ASI, who has noted in his book 'Lothal', that there was a good deal of luck involved in the excavation and discovery of Lothal. After his party had started their journey towards Lothal they found that it would be difficult to reach the mouth of the Sabarmati, as it was a time immediately after the monsoon and the area was flooded. They decided to postpone the journey but it was their driver, Baburao Kadam, who decided to carry on. He drove from Arnje to Gundi through the marshy land. Then with the assistance of one Mehpat Singh, he crossed the water-logged fields and reached a low lying mound near Laximpura. This mound was locally known as Lothal, or 'the mound of the dead'. As soon as the excavations started it was clear that a true Harappan settlement had been discovered.