The ancient nullah, the inlet channel, and riverbed have been similarly covered up. The original 1998 version of this section on a black background can be seen at old.harappa.com. [32] An ivory workshop was operated under strict official supervision, and the domestication of elephants has been suggested. The absence of standing high walls is attributed to erosion and brick robbery. On one large vessel, the artist depicts birds with fish in their beaks, resting in a tree, while a fox-like animal stands below. A unique seal found here is from Bahrain—circular, with motif of a dragon flanked by jumping gazelles. The lower town was subdivided into two sectors. 16, 4th Floor, Sector-11, Gandhinagar - 382 011. The people of Lothal made significant and often unique contributions to human civilization in the Indus era, in the fields of city planning, art, architecture, science, engineering and religion. Large ships were moored away. The ASI museum at Lothal offers an insight into the town planning of this urban port. [25], The people of Lothal worshipped a fire god, speculated to be the horned deity depicted on seals, which is also evidenced by the presence of private and public fire-altars where religious ceremonies were apparently conducted. "Lothal was discovered as a result of a systematic survey of Gujarat undertaken by the author in the year 1954 as part of the programme for locating Harappan settlements within the present-day borders of India. Dating back to the second millennium b.c., Lothal was an important port on the Indian subcontinent during the Harappan era. 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 … Provision was made for the escape of excess water through the outlet channel, 96.5 metres (317 feet) wide and 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) high in the southern arm. A Lothal and Ropar. What happened to the Indus valley civilization. The acropolis was levelled (2000–1900 BCE), and inhabited by common tradesmen and newly built makeshift houses. [7], The meaning of Lothal (a combination of Loth and (s) thal) in Gujarati to be "the mound of the dead" is not unusual, as the name of the city of Mohenjo-daro in Sindhi means the same. The well is built of radial bricks, 2.4 metres (7.9 feet) in diameter and 6.7 metres (22 feet) deep. These were joined together so expertly that not even a strand of hair could pass through the connections. Lothal exported its beads, gemstones, ivory and shells. It is also considered that given the small number of graves discovered—only 17 in an estimated population of 15,000—the citizens of Lothal also practised cremation of the dead. Lothal’s location has always been known by the locals. They were used as headers and stretchers in same and alternate layers. Lothal is a city of the Indus Valley Civilization. Situated at a distance of 80 km from Ahmedabad, Lothal city is one of the well known cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. Lothal, which means 'The City of Dead', is an old city dating back to the 4,400-year-old Harappan civilization and one of the few known ports on an ocean. The population fled to inner regions. A thick ring-like shell object found with four slits each in two margins served as a compass to measure angles on plane surfaces such as housing alignments, roads or land surveys. Earth is Mysterious focuses on history, mythology and past civilizations that walked the earth. [2] Discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the official Indian government agency for the preservation of ancient monuments. Lothal was one of the most important centres of shell-working, owing to the abundance of high quality shells found in the Gulf of Kutch and near the Kathiawar coast. a) Lothal. Harappa is known to be a 4700 years old city in the subcontinent which was discovered around the time 1920. The dock spans 37 m from east to west and 22 m from north to south. The rulers of the town lived in the acropolis, which featured paved baths, underground and surface drains (built of kiln-fired bricks) and potable water well. Officials blame the salinity on capillary action and point out that cracks are emerging and foundations weakening even as restoration work slowly progresses. The bust of a male with slit eyes, sharp nose, and square-cut beard is reminiscent of Sumerian figures, especially stone sculptures from Mari. The complete excavation was handled by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). [30] Gamesmen, beads, unguent vessels, chank shells, ladles and inlays were made for export and local consumption. 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. [citation needed] However, with rising prosperity, Lothal's people failed to upkeep their walls and dock facilities, possibly as a result of over-confidence in their systems. 5. Drains, manholes and cesspools kept the city clean and deposited the waste in the river, which was washed out during high tide. There were three streets and two lanes running east-west, and two streets running north-south. [23] The Lothal craftsmen took care to ensure durability and accuracy of stone weights by blunting edges before polishing. [13] There was an important public building opposite to the warehouse whose superstructure has completely disappeared. [9] However, the ASI and other contemporary archaeologists assert that the city was a part of a major river system on the trade route of the ancient peoples from Sindh to Saurashtra in Gujarat. It lasted for about 1600 years and collapsed mysteriously. Adjacent to the excavated areas stands the Archaeological Museum, where some of the most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India are displayed. But most archaeologists agree that it is fair to claim Uruk as one of the world’s first cities. Upstream elements of this river provided a suitable source of freshwater for the inhabitants. Genetic studies have revealed that Central Europeans, during the Neolithic, were genetically mixed between indigenous European hunter-gatherers and new incoming people with ancestry related to Western Anatolian early farmers. The remnants of raw materials such as reed, cow dung, sawdust, and agate are found, giving archaeologists hints of how the kiln was operated. 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 mud plaster of the floors and walls are vitrified owing to intense heat during work. The dock also possessed a lock-gate system—a wooden door could be lowered at the mouth of the outlet to retain a minimum column of water in the basin so as to ensure flotation at low tides. Lothal was a major port of trade. Lothal, one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, located in the Bhal region of the modern state of Gujarat, in the western part of India is just one such example. Lothal had a highly developed bead-making industry that has not been surpassed even by the modern Cambay craftspeople working 4000 years later. [34] The lapidaries select stones of variegated colours, producing beads of different shapes and sizes. [citation needed] The bead factory had ten living rooms and a large workplace courtyard. Four flues are connected with each other, the upper chamber and the stokehold. March 3, 2020. It exhibits some fine pieces of ceramics, metalwork and beads that were once created here. [citation needed], After the core of the Indus civilisation had decayed in Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, Lothal seems not only to have survived but to have thrived for many years. Discover beautiful places and Hidden wonders of this beautiful and mysterious earth. As recently as 1850, boats could sail up to the mound. Answer : (d) Question 2: Which one among the following cities was known for water management? Lothal is a place of historic importance. (Fig 3.2) This suggests that Lothal was an important port and trading centre of the Harappan people. From 2600 to 1900 BC, the Indus Valley or Harappan Civilisation was at the zenith of its maturity as a sophisticated … The warehouse was located close to the acropolis, to allow tight supervision by ruling authorities. [citation needed] Increased salinity of soil made the land inhospitable to life, including crops. It is six kilometres south-east of the Lothal-Bhurkhi railway station on the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar railway line. [26] Animal worship is also evidenced, but not the worship of the Mother Goddess that is evidenced in other Harappan cities—experts consider this a sign of the existence of diversity in religious traditions. The first great invention, this tool is called a handaxe. Stamp seals with copper rings inserted in a perforated button were used to sealing cargo, with impressions of packing materials like mats, twisted cloth and cords, a fact verified only at Lothal. 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