Ancient Lothal
The ancient Indus port of Lothal as envisaged by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Slides on Lothal a coastal archaeological site in Gujarat
The ancient Indus port of Lothal as envisaged by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Town planning at Lothal.
The most unique aspect of planning during the Indus Valley civilization was the system of underground drainage. The main sewer, 1.5 meters deep and 91 cm across, connected to many north-south and east-west sewers.
The bead factories, situated where the 8th street of the commercial area and the 5th street of the residential area meet, comprised the main industry of the Harappans.
From the plinth of the acropolis, it is a short distance to the lower town. The lower town contains a commercial and residential area. The arterial streets running from north to south were flanked by shops, merchant dwellings and artisan's workshops.
The bricks, typical of an ancient Indus city, were usually of a standard size.
Kitchens and wells were spread across the upper town.
An elaborate sanitary and drainage system, a hallmark of ancient Indus cities, is in evidence everywhere at Lothal.
The proximity of the seat of power to the warehouse may have ensured that the ruler and his entourage could inspect stocks easily. An ivory workshop in the acropolis suggests that elephants may have been domesticated to produce the raw material.
The rooms of the upper town were obviously built for upper classes. They had private pathed brick baths and a remarkable network of drains and cesspools.