What is Lothal famous for in India?
It was very famous for micro-cylindrical beads of steatite (chlorite). The Lothal excavation yielded 213 seals, third in volume amongst all Indus sites.
What was found at Lothal?
An ivory seal, and sawn pieces for boxes, combs, rods, inlays and ear-studs were found during excavations. Lothal produced a large quantity of gold ornaments—the most attractive item being microbeads of gold in five strands in necklaces, unique for being less than 0.25 millimetres (0.010 inches) in diameter.
What are the famous ornaments of Lothal?
A large disc with holes recovered from a sacrificial altar is compared to the rukma worn by Vedic priests. Studs, cogwheel and heart-shaped ornaments of faience and steatite were popular in Lothal. A ring of thin copper wire turned into double spirals resembles the gold-wire rings used by modern Hindus for weddings.
What are the main features of Lothal?
Metalware, gold and jewellery and tastefully decorated ornaments attest to the culture and prosperity of the people of Lothal. Most of their equipment: metal tools, weights, measures, seals, earthenware and ornaments were of the uniform standard and quality found across the Indus civilization.
What is found in Lothal?
Lothal is a small mature Harappan settlement near Gulf of Khambat in Dhalka taluk of Ahmadabad in Gujrat. It was first excavated in 1957 by S R Rao. The notable structures at Lothal include a dockyard, warehouse, workshop for manufacturing of stone beads, evidence of shell working, rice husk and a cemetery.
Is Lothal famous for dockyard?
Yes, Lothal is famous for its dockyard. It is said to be the oldest known artificial dock.
Where is Lothal situated and what is special about it?
Lothal Worlds first known DRY DOCK About the location: About 80km southwest of Ahmedabad, the city that stood at this archaeological site 4500 years ago was one of the most important of the Indus Valley civilisation, which extended into what is now Pakistan.
What was special about Lothal very short answer?
Answer: Lothal was a city on the banks of the tributary of the Sabarmati in Gujarat. It was a centre for making stone, shell and metal objects. A storehouse and fire altars were also found in the city.
What is special about dockyard at Lothal?
The dominant sight at Lothal is the massive dockyard which has helped make this place so important to international archaeology. Spanning an area 37 meters from east to west and nearly 22 meters from north to south, the dock is said by some to be the greatest work of maritime architecture before the birth of Christ.
Why was Lothal an important city?
Lothal was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa. The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead-making and in metallurgy have stood the test of time for over 4000 years.
Why was Lothal an important trading Centre?
Lothal was an important trading center because it appears Lothal served as a dockyard, where boats and ships, came in from sea and through the river channel. Goods were probably loaded and unloaded there.
Why is Lothal called the Indus Valley Civilization?
The word Lothal refers to the “mound of the dead”. It is situated between the Bhogavo and Sabarmati rivers near the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat. It is referred to as Manchester of Harappan Civilization because of its expansion of the cotton trade. Thus, it is the correct option.
Where was dockyard found?
LothalThe Dockyard was found at Lothal, one of the sites of the Indus Valley civilisation in Gujarat.
Where is dockyard in Indus civilization?
LothalThe excavated site of Lothal is the only port-town of the Indus Valley Civilisation. A metropolis with an upper and a lower town had in on its northern side a basin with vertical wall, inlet and outlet channels which has been identified as a tidal dockyard.
Where is world's oldest dockyard?
LothalArchaeologists believe the first tidal dockyard in the world was built in Lothal. A port city, Lothal was the focal point of Harappan civilisation in Gujarat. Built here was the earliest known dock in the world, equipped to berth and service ships.
What is dockyard of Harappan civilization?
Lothal is the Harappa site where a dockyard has been found.It is situated near a village in Saragwala in the district of Ahmedabad.Harappan site is one of the most important cities of Indus valley civilizations.Lothal is the southernmost city of Indus valley civilization.Lothal had the oldest dock of the world which ...
What planet is Lothal?
Lothal was a planet in the Outer Rim Territories. During the early years of the Galactic Empire, Lothal was in a state of economic disrepair and invited the Empire to take over the planet's industries, with the promise of prosperity and security. Although many people said the Empire would bring doom, the ones preaching new jobs ...
What was the role of Lothal in colonization?
As Lothal became established as a sustainable ecosystem for farming, more and more immigrants trained as technicians and laborers flocked to the planet to support the needs of the farming community.
Why did the economy of Lothal crash?
As the crops died and entire herds of livestock perished, the economy of Lothal began to crash as the import/export trade slowed. Petitioning the Galactic Senate of the Galactic Republic for aid, the Lothalian government was constantly rebutted as the Senate was more concerned with the war effort.
Why did the Spectres return to Lothal?
Later, the Spectres returned to Lothal to rescue the defecting Imperial Minister Maketh Tua. However, this was a trap and Maketh was killed during an explosion, which was blamed on the rebels. In response, Darth Vader placed the planet on lockdown and several Imperial warships blockaded the planet.
Where was the Lothal City governed?
Prior to the coming of the Galactic Empire, Lothal was governed by a legislative body that was based at the Lothal City Capitol Building in Capital City.
What government departments were in Lothal?
Lothal was also home to several Imperial government departments including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Imperial Agricultural Collective, the Transportation Ministry, the Security Ministry, the Education Ministry, and a substantial Imperial Military garrison.
What happened to the settlers after the Siege of Lothal?
The settlers were gathered and sent to prison camps. Following the Siege of Lothal, Ezra's broadcast trickled down to the Imperial prison which housed Ephraim, Mira, and Ryder Azadi. Galvanized by hearing their son's speech, Ephraim and Mira staged a breakout from their prison.
What is Lothal famous for?
Lothal is famous for the discovery of several ruins of Indus Valley Civilization. Lothal is located between the Sabarmati river and its tributary Bhogavo, in the Saurasthra region. The sea is, today, over 19 km away from Lothal, but at one time, boats from the Gulf of Cambay could have sailed right up to the spot.
What was the Lothal industry?
Lothal was a busy industrial centre that imported pure copper and produced artefacts such as bronze celts, chisels, spearheads and ornaments. Beads and shells of fine quality were produced primarily for trade and export purposes.
What is the most distinctive feature of Lothal?
The most distinctive feature of Lothal is the dockyard, which is on the eastern edge of the site. The basin is enclosed by a wall of burnt bricks. The mechanisms of the dockyard are truly impressive for its time, with provisions for maintaining a regular level of water by means of a sluice gate and a spill channel.
What is the significance of the sealings in Lothal?
These sealings, some of which are on display in the site museum, are testament to the commercial nature of production of goods in Lothal, a crucial historical fact. The archaeological museum in Lothal was set up in 1976, and it hosts a large display of some of the most striking artefacts found during the excavations.
Where is Lothal located?
Lothal is situated between the Sabarmati river and its tributary Bhogavo. Today, the sea is over 19 km away from the Lothal site. But, back in the day, boats from the Gulf of Cambay could sail right up to the dockyard. It was during the exploration of the Sabarmati river around the 1950s that led to the discovery of the Lothal site. Lothal is surprisingly close to Ahmedabad and the capital of Gujarat Gandhinagar, thereby making the site very accessible. The easiest way to reach Lothal from Ahmedabad is by road as it is barely a two-hour long journey.
What is Lothal in Gujarat?
Lothal in Gujarat is a 4,500-year-old Harappan port town. The word lothal in Gujarati literally means “the mound of the dead”. First discovered in 1954, Lothal was subsequently excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Why is Lothal important?
In fact, it is said that the methods of bead-making employed by the people of Lothal were so advanced that no improvement has been made to the process even after 4,000 years . The dockyard at Lothal was responsible for the town being well connected to the sea and had important trade and commerce relations with other centres. Lothal routinely imported raw materials like copper and semi-precious stones. The ancient town was also an important centre for shell-work too. Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Kutch, Lothal had access to a large variety of shells from which they made unique ornaments, fish hooks, spears and other weaponry.
What was discovered during the excavations of the city of Lothal?
The excavations led to a discovery of a lot of prominent structures of the ancient city along with numerous antiquities that were produced by its people and used for trade and day-to-day activities that are now displayed in the Lothal museum.
What is Lothal famous for?
Lothal was famous for its micro-beads that were made by rolling ground steatite paste on string, baking it solid, and then cutting it with a tiny saw into the desired lengths. The expertise is evident in the micro-beads of gold under 0.25 mm in diameter which cannot be found anywhere else. The gold, like today, was most likely only for the upper classes, while the poorest citizens had to make do with shell and terracotta ornaments.
When was Lothal discovered?
It was discovered in 1954 and was the southernmost cities of the very ancient Indus Valley Civilization. The excavations started at this place on 13 February 1955 and lasted until 19 May 1960. The complete excavation was handled by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It is the official Indian government agency for the preservation of ancient monuments.
What is the Lothal seal?
Lothal holds the third largest collection of seals and sealings, engraved on steatite, with animal and human figurines and letters from Indus script, but these remain undeciphered, so they do not provide as much insight into the material culture as the other findings. They do however show aspects of the spiritual culture; there are signs of worship of fire, and of the sea goddess, but not of the mother goddess.
Is Lothal Museum open on Fridays?
This mueseum hosts a large display of some of the most striking and amazing artifacts found during the excavations.The museum timings are 10.00am-5.00pm and it remain closed on Fridays.
Overview
Civilization
The people of Lothal made significant and often unique contributions to human civilisation in the Indus era, in the fields of city planning, art, architecture, science, engineering, pottery, and religion. Their work in metallurgy, seals, beads and jewellery was the basis of their prosperity.
A thick ring-like shell object found with four slits each in two margins served a…
Archaeology
When British India was partitioned in 1947, most Indus sites, including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, became part of Pakistan. The Archaeological Survey of India undertook a new program of exploration, and excavation. Many sites were discovered across northwestern India. Between 1954 and 1958, more than 50 sites were excavated in the Kutch (notably Dholavira), and Saurashtra peninsulas…
Excavated Lothal
On plan, Lothal stands 285 metres (935 feet) north-to-south and 228 metres (748 feet) east-to-west. At the height of its habitation, it covered a wider area since remains have been found 300 metres (980 feet) south of the mound. Due to the fragile nature of unbaked bricks and frequent floods, the superstructures of all buildings have receded. However, the dwarfed walls, platforms, two wells…
Coastal trade route
A coastal route may have existed linking sites such as Lothal and Dholavira to Sutkagan Dor on the Makran coast.
See also
• List of Indus Valley Civilization sites
• Bhagatrav, a small port
• Rangpur, Gujarat, a sea port
Notes
Harappa Town Planning" (published in "Uttar Pradesh" in November 1961).
• S. R. Rao, Lothal (published by the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, 1985)
• A.S. Khadikar, N. Basaviah, T. K. Gundurao and C. Rajshekhar Paleoenvironments around the Harappan port of Lothal, Gujarat, western India, in Journal of the Indian Geophysicists Union (2004)
External links
• Lothal
• A Walk through Lothal
• Ancient Civilizations Timeline
• The Harappan Civilization
• Indus artefacts