"Lothal" literally means "Place of the Dead."

LOTHAL is the third largest, after Mohenjodaro 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 Archeological Survey of India (ASI) under the leadership of the renowned archeologist Dr. S. R. Rao between 1955 and 1962.

YOUNG DR. RAO AT LOTHAL IN 1961
WITH A GROUP OF S.P. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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, where many other Harappan towns existed at the time. A large dockyard, capable of harbouring a large number of ships, was unearthed during the early period of 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.

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