Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Ancient Archeological Site of Lothal
Lothal, is an ancient mound dating from 2,500 B.C., considered a contemporary of the Indus
Valley civilization. "Lothal" means "Place of the Dead" in Gujarati.
Before walking around the archaeological site, we entered a small, interesting museum
with no photos or videos allowed. Displays showed: games, flints, arrows, small tops, and
needles; jewelry made from pottery, metal and
gold
. Gold was, and is found, in the ruins of
Lothal where locals hunt for bits of gold after the yearly monsoon. The Harrapan people,
who occupied Lothal, also worked in ivory, copper and bronze; copper was brought from
Oman.
One of the most interesting exhibits had small figures with animal representations that in-
cluded a
gorilla
, which has never been found in India. This gorilla seemed to indicate that a
Lothal person had seen a gorilla on his journeys.
The mound of Lothal had 13-foot thick, mud walls to protect from flooding. The Har-
rapans were attracted to this area with its sheltered harbor and rich cotton/rice growing area.
The town thrived on trading and was divided into three parts:
Industrial
area: Along the river with customs houses;
“Wealthy Section”
: Ruler, and those with money, lived in the upper town built on a plateau
with baths, underground drains, and wells; and
The Lower Town:
They also enjoyed civic amenities but was subdivided into two sec-
tors. An arterial street was the main commercial center where rich merchants and ordinary
craftsmen lived together. The residential center lay to the East and west of bazaar.
Lothal had a very sophisticated drainage system for waste. Water would be purified before
running back in the sea. As a reminder, this site is from
2,500 B.C
.
The Northeast corner of Lothal was used as a crematoria. Skeletons of one man and one wo-
man have been found here along with animal bones but no people. 'Tis a puzzlement...
From Lothal, our drive continued on to Dasada, in the Little Rann of Kutch for two nights.
The rare "Wild Ass" is found only in this region. Prepare for many silly jokes and references
to "Wild Asses."
