1st Man-made Dock (maritime)

More than 4,000 years ago, people in what is now Gujarat dug a huge basin, lined it with baked bricks and linked it to a river. Many experts say boats once sailed into it to load and unload goods. If they are right, this was one of the oldest docks ever built. The place is called Lothal, and its Lothal dock is often called the first man made dock in the world.

That claim is exciting, but it is also debated. In this article, I’ll walk you through what a dock is, what was found at Lothal, why some experts doubt it, and what new research says. I have only used facts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other trusted records.

What Is a Dock?

A dock is an enclosed area of water where boats can stop safely. Workers load and unload cargo there. Ships may also be repaired or built at a dock. Most docks sit close to a river mouth or the sea, so boats can come in and go out with ease.

A natural harbour is a bay that nature made. A man made dock is different. People dig it, build its walls and control the water that flows in and out. That takes planning, labour and a good grasp of tides.

Where Is Lothal?

Lothal lies in the Bhal region of Gujarat. It is near the village of Saragwala in Dholka taluka, in Ahmedabad district. The site is about 85 km from Ahmedabad by road. In Gujarati, the name Lothal means “the mound of the dead”. The old city of Mohenjo daro has a name with the same meaning in Sindhi.

Lothal was one of the southernmost towns of the Indus Valley Civilisation, also called the Harappan Civilisation. To learn more about this ancient culture, read our article on the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation.

How Was Lothal Found?

After the Partition in 1947, the best known Indus cities, Harappa and Mohenjo daro, became part of Pakistan. So the ASI began searching for new sites in India. It found Lothal in 1954. Digging began on 13 February 1955 and went on until 19 May 1960.

The work was led by the archaeologist S. R. Rao. It was he who first said that the large brick basin was a dock.

When Was Lothal Built?

You’ll see different dates in different places. The ASI dates the main Harappan phase at Lothal from about 2450 BCE to 1900 BCE. Wikipedia says that the planned city is believed to have begun around 2300 BCE. Rao himself saw five building phases from about 2400 to 1900 BCE.

So it is safest to say that the town and its dock were in use for a few hundred years, somewhere between about 2400 and 1900 BCE. That makes them more than 4,000 years old.

What Did the Dock Look Like?

The basin sits on the east side of the town. It is shaped like a long trapezium and lined with kiln baked bricks. Here are the main features, as described in the ASI findings and by Rao.

• Size: about 215 metres long from north to south and about 35 to 37 metres wide.
• Main inlet: an opening about 12.8 metres wide where boats could enter.
• Wharf: a mud brick platform about 220 metres long on the western side, with a ramp to the warehouse.
• Spillway: a channel in the southern arm to let excess water flow out.

Rao wrote in 1965 that the dock was designed for ships about 18 to 20 metres long and 4 to 6 metres wide. He also said that two ships could pass through the inlet at the same time.

Why baked bricks?

Sun dried mud bricks would soften in water. Baked bricks are much harder. The builders used them for the dock walls, which suggests they knew the basin would hold water for long periods.

Smart use of the tides

The dock was placed away from the main river channel. This may have been done to stop silt from piling up inside. The Gulf of Khambhat nearby has very high tides. Some experts think the people of Lothal studied these tides so boats could float in at high water. That idea is a reasoned guess, not a proven fact.

Around 2000 BCE, the river changed its course. People then dug a canal about 7 metres wide and 2 km long to reach the new channel. That shows how hard they worked to keep the dock in use.

Why Some Experts Doubt It Was a Dock

Not every scholar agrees with Rao. In 1968, the anthropologist Lawrence Leshnik argued that the basin was a water tank. He felt the inlet was too small for sea going ships. He also asked why boats would need to make a sharp 90 degree turn to enter. In 1982, another scholar, Yule, also suggested that it was mainly a tank for irrigation.

There is also a question of which dock is oldest. Some archaeologists point to a harbour of the Egyptian king Khufu at Wadi al Jarf on the Red Sea. They date it to between 2580 and 2550 BCE, which would make it older than Lothal.

Evidence That Supports the Dock Idea

Other findings point the other way. Scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa found tiny sea fossils called foraminifera inside the basin. They also found salt and gypsum crystals, which form when sea water dries up. This suggests that sea water once filled the basin. Leshnik’s side replied that floods could have left these behind.

Stone weights, boat models made of clay and a round seal from the Persian Gulf were also found near the basin. Experts still argue over what each of these proves.

In 2024, a study by researchers at IIT Gandhinagar used satellite data. According to reports in The Indian Express, it found that the Sabarmati river once flowed right past Lothal. Today the river is about 20 km away. This supports the idea that boats could reach the town by water.

Lothal as a Trade Town

Lothal was busy. It made beads from stones such as carnelian, and its beads have turned up in places as far away as modern Iraq and Iran. It had a bead factory with a kiln. It worked shell from the Gulf of Kutch and made copper and bronze tools.

The site gave archaeologists 213 seals, the third highest number from any Indus site. Some were used to seal bundles of cargo. One unusual seal came from Bahrain. All this points to wide trade by land and sea. Much later, Indian ports would trade with Rome too, as our post on Indo Roman trade relations explains. India’s love affair with the sea never stopped. Days such as Indian National Maritime Day celebrate that link.

How Did Lothal Decline?

Floods and storms seem to have hurt Lothal badly. The ASI evidence points to a strong flood that damaged houses and walls. The shift of the river cut the dock off from ships. Signs of a drier climate also appear around that time. Slowly, the town lost its trade and its people.

Visiting Lothal Today

You can visit the site and walk around the old basin. An ASI museum next to it shows beads, seals, pots and tools. The site has been on UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage status since April 2014.

A big new project, the National Maritime Heritage Complex, is being built near Lothal. The Hindu describes it as a large museum and visitor project about India’s sea history. If you plan a trip, our guide to Gujarat’s history, geography and tourism will help.

Sadly, the site faces threats. Salt water, rain and sun are slowly eating away the old bricks. Silt has also made the basin 3 to 4 metres shallower than it once was.

FAQs About Lothal Dock

Is Lothal really the world’s first man made dock?

The ASI and many experts call it one of the earliest known docks. Some scholars disagree and say it may have been a water tank, or that an Egyptian harbour is older.

How old is the Lothal dock?

It dates to the Harappan period, roughly between 2400 and 1900 BCE. That makes it more than 4,000 years old.

Which river was Lothal linked to?

An old course of the Sabarmati river flowed near Lothal. Today the river flows about 20 km away.

Who discovered Lothal?

The Archaeological Survey of India found it in 1954. S. R. Rao led the digs from 1955 to 1960.

How big is the Lothal basin?

It is about 215 metres long and about 35 to 37 metres wide.

Can I visit Lothal?

Yes. The site and its ASI museum are open to visitors. It lies in Ahmedabad district, about 85 km from Ahmedabad.

Final Thoughts

Whether it was a dock, a tank or both, the brick basin at Lothal is a marvel. It shows a town that planned with care, traded far and fought hard against floods. The debate is part of the fun. Each new study adds a piece to the story of India’s oldest sea links.