Reconstructing the Dockyard of Lothal

Activity: Reconstructing the Dockyard of Lothal

Lothal was one of the important cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, known for its remarkable dockyard, one of the earliest in the world. It shows how people of that time planned and built structures with great skill and understanding of their surroundings.               In this activity, you will observe the pictures of the Lothal Dockyard and imagine yourself as a planner responsible for its construction. You will think about the kind of information and decisions needed to build such a dockyard successfully. Through this, you will gain insight about abilities of ancient Indians.

 

Student Worksheet:

Picture Analysis – The Dockyard of Lothal

Learning Objective:

To explore how ancient Indians combined knowledge from various fields and used research methods to plan and construct the Lothal Dockyard.

Background:

Lothal was one of the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, located in present-day Gujarat, India. It was an important port city known for its well-planned dockyard, used for trade with distant regions. Archaeologists found remains of warehouses, streets, houses, and drainage systems showing advanced town planning. The people of Lothal were skilled in crafts, trade, and engineering. Its discoveries reveal how ancient Indians engaged in maritime trade and organized urban life thousands of years ago.

Let’s Do

1.     Collect different pictures of archaeological site of Lothal.

2.     Observe the Pictures and describe each picture in 5 lines to present your study of pictures or diagram of the Lothal Dockyard. Have you noticed the river, shape, materials, entry channels, etc.

3.     Imagine Yourself in the Past as you are a Project Officer in ancient Lothal assigned to plan the dock’s construction.

4.     Write 25 questions about what information you would need before building the dockyard. (Example: How deep should the dock be to hold ships safely?)

5.     Let’s analyse the questions

a.      Step1: Identify domain of Knowledge.

After each question, write the domain of knowledge it relates to.

 (Choose from: Geography, History, Economics, Political Science, Science, Mathematics, etc)

b.     Step 2: Step 2: Identify the Method of Inquiry:

 Write which method could be used to find the answer.

(Choose from: Observation, Measurement, Experimentation, Field Survey, Interviews, Record Study, Data Analysis, experimentation, etc)

 

Question	Domain of Knowledge	Method of Inquiry
What is the pattern of tides near the dock?	Geography	Observation, analysis
What kind of materials last longer in water?	Science	Experimentation

6.      Think and Conclude:

Form group with 3-4 friends. Share your table with them and have a round of discussion with them.  After listening to questions shared by your friends and having discussion on the questions, collectively write a short paragraph (5–6 lines) on what you learned about ‘How ancient Indians combined knowledge from different disciplines and used research and inquiry methods to plan the Lothal Dockyard.’

Instruction sheet for teachers:

Picture Analysis – The Dockyard of Lothal

Learning Objective:

To help students understand how ancient Indians used interdisciplinary knowledge and inquiry methods from History, Geography, Economics, Political Science, Science, and Mathematics to plan and construct the Lothal Dockyard.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

Students will:

·       Understand how knowledge from different fields was used in ancient India.

·       Identify inquiry methods used for research and problem-solving.

·       Recognize that Social Science learning connects naturally with Science and Mathematics.

Instructions:

INDUCTIVE APPROACH: Learning through discovery and reasoning from examples to concept

1. Set the Context

Begin with a short discussion on how the Indus Valley Civilization was advanced in town planning, trade, and maritime technology.

Ask guiding questions such as: “How might ancient people have studied tides, materials, or trade routes?” to initiate the discussion.

2. Picture observation and analysis  

Display or circulate the images of the Lothal Dockyard collected by students. Ask students to Observe the Pictures and describe each picture in 5 lines to present what they have noticed in the pictures. Encourage them to note visible clues about planning and design.

3. Student Exploration

Ask students to imagine being Project Officers in ancient Lothal. Instruct them to brain storm to frame 25 questions about what they would need to know before constructing the dockyard.

4. Domain & Method Identification

Guide students to classify each question by Domain of Knowledge (Geography, History, etc.) Then identify Method of Inquiry (Observation, Measurement, Field Survey, Record Study, etc.). Have a round of discussion on the table prepared by them.

5. Think and Conclude:

Ask students to form groups of 3–4 and share their question tables with one another. Encourage them to discuss how their questions reflect different ways of understanding the Lothal Dockyard. After listening and comparing ideas, guide each group to write a short paragraph (4–5 lines) on what they learned about how ancient Indians combined various kinds of knowledge and used observation, planning, and inquiry to design the dockyard. Invite a few groups to share their reflections with the class.

6. Extension Ideas:

As a take home task for interested to students who want to explore this idea further. Provide them guiding questions which will help to work further.

·       Create a concept map linking all disciplines involved in building the dockyard.

·       Compare Lothal’s dockyard with a modern port (e.g., Kandla or Mumbai).

Assessment criteria:

·       Evaluate the quality and relevance of student questions.

·       Check for criteria for classification of domains and methods.

·       Use student reflections to assess conceptual understanding and curiosity.

Competencies addressed:

·       Inquiry and Research Skills – framing meaningful questions, selecting suitable methods, and analysing evidence.

·       Critical and Analytical Thinking – interpreting information, drawing conclusions.

·       Collaboration and Communication – sharing ideas, discussing in groups, and presenting collective findings.

·       Conceptual Understanding – connecting historical evidence with spatial, social, economic, and technological contexts.

·       Appreciation of Heritage and Scientific Temper – recognizing India’s early achievements in planning, engineering, and organized trade through inquiry.

Image source:  walk-through-lothal

Prashant Divekar

Jnana Prabodhini, Pune