Lothal

TAG: GS-1: Art & culture

The context:  A study by the Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar has provided fresh evidence to prove that a dockyard existed at Lothal.

Explanation:

About the Lothal:

The discovery of Lothal, located in the Bhal region of Gujarat during the 1950s, initiated debates among archaeologists about the existence of a dockyard.The IITGn study reveals that the Sabarmati River once flowed close to Lothal during the Harappan period, contrasting its current course, which is 20 km away.

• The study suggests a trade route linking Ahmedabad, through Lothal, Nal Sarovar, and the Little Rann, to Dholavira, another prominent Harappan site.
• Satellite imagery and multi-sensor data analysis have uncovered the ancient channels of the Sabarmati River, confirming Lothal’s strategic location on a significant riverine route.
• The study also suggests that traders might have arrived in Gujarat via the Gulf of Khambhat, collected materials from Ratanpura, and transported them to Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq).

Urban Planning and Infrastructure:

• Lothal was well-planned, and its design guarded the city from floods. Houses were built on terraced platforms and walled on three sides by a peripheral wall. Houses were arranged in blocks.
• The Harappan custom of dividing the city into acropolis or citadel and lower townwas followed.
• It included the residence of the ruler and provided civic amenities such as metalled roads, underground drains, and wells.
• The lower town was equally well-planned with commercial centers, residential areas, and a dock for berthing ships, so essential to trade.
• An unclogging stormwater/waste disposal system ensured that the town had advanced drainage.

Economic and Industrial Activities

• Lothal was an industrial centre.
• Bronze tools, beads, and ornaments were manufactured in this city.
• It imported copper and semi-precious stones from far-away places.
• Thebead industry had developed as a distinct enterprise.
• Artisans of Lothal produced some beautiful jewellery.
• There was also a well-developed trade network which exported goods to various parts of the Harappan civilization.

Religion and Burial Practices

• Lothal, just like Kalibangan, shows evidence of fire worship through their existence of fire altars in open public places as well as private ones. The people followed a religion that incorporated the worship of various animals, evident on the seals.
• Lothal demonstrates a peculiar way of burial called a joint burial in which a couple are buried together; this could be because of some family tragedies or couple accidents.

Art and Metallurgy

• Among the other great things about Lothal, it also contained seals of steatite with calligraphy and motifs of animals, which reflected the artistic and cultural sophistication of the Harappans.
• On this site also lies much importance in the section of metallurgy as a high-purity copper was imported here to create various types of tools and ornaments.

Decline

• Like the Indus Valley Civilization, Lothal declined due to natural calamities, mainly floods, that swept the town. The economy of the town ground to a halt by 1900 BCE and was consequently abandoned.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/dockyard-lothal-gujarat-9548119/