Architecture of Kalibanga and Lothal.pptx

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1. Lothal and Kalibangan Dr. Virag Sontakke Assistant Professor A.I.H.C. & Archaeology Banaras Hindu University, Varansi

2. Discovery and Excavations Lothal was discovered in November 1954. The explorations were part of the programme for locating Harappan settlements in India. 88 sites were reported from 1954 to 1959 by the Archaeological Survey of India. The site was excavated to see the cultural sequence. Lothal emerged as an important site of Indus Valley Civilisations.

3. Introduction Situated in between the Sabarmati river and its tributary Modern Bhogavo region of Gujarat. Located near Saragwala village of Ahmadabad district (85 km) Site is 10 km up to the Gulf of Cambay Once it was close to the Arabian sea Lothal was excavated between 1954 -55 to 1962-63 by ASI. Director: S.R. Rao Lothal, was an international trade center. Site remains are now exposed Antiquities are displayed in site museum

4. The Site Size : 280 x 225 meters Site Plan : Rectangular Citadel : “Acropolis” by S.R. Rao Surrounded by fortification Material : Mud and baked bricks Entrance : South Burial cemetery : Outside the enclosing wall, N-W direction

5. Plan of the Site

6. Stratigraphy & Chronology The 7 m. thick occupational deposit Divided into two Periods, A and B, Period A: Mature Harappa culture Period B: Late Harappa

7. Plan of the Site Acropolis Lower Town Dockyard Ware house Bead industry Houses Bathrooms Cemetery

8. Citadel: “Acropolis” Trapezoidal in Plan Elevated area (mud platform) Size : 128 x 61 meters Remains of Residential buildings Streets Lanes Bathrooms Drains

9. Residential Area Various size Houses Generally 4-6 rooms A large courtyard and veranda Bathrooms Fire alters Manufactures/ Artisans houses: Coppersmiths Bead makers

10. Streets Systematic streets Three streets running north-south Two lanes running east-west Made of mud bricks with gravel at the top One big street identified as “bazar street” There were shops along the street

11. Lower Town Divided into two parts Contains a commercial and residential area. The principal streets running from north to south Streets (6–8 metres) were flanked by shops Accommodation for craftsmen-coppersmiths, goldsmiths, shell-workers and bead-makers, their shops and working-places. Merchant dwellings and artisan’s workshops also situated on the side of road. Streets running from east to west led to the residential areas Lanes allowing access to individual dwellings. The houses give evidence to a sophisticated drainage system. The street maintained a uniform width Evidence of shops, workplaces of coppersmiths and beadmaker.

12. Lower Town

13. Bathroom & Drainage The main sewer, 1.5 meters deep and 91 cm width It connected to many sewers. Bricks smoothened and joined together seamlessly. These sewer are watertight. Drops at regular intervals for cleaning. Houses baths and drains that emptied into underground soakage jars.

14. Dockyard Situated eastern end of the site It is surrounded by a wall of burnt bricks Size : East-west : 212 meter and 215 meter North-south : 37 meter and 35 meter. Has a sluice gate and a spill channel for maintaining water Towards western side a mud platform could be wharf (jetty) At wharf goods were loaded and unloaded

15. It is opined as the world’s first dockyard. This dock inland, is connected with a canal connecting to the estuary of River Sabarmati. Ships could sluice into the northern end of the dock by an inlet channel connected to the River Sabarmati. During high tide, the lock gates were closed so the water level would rise sufficiently for them to float. After the ships had loaded or unloaded cargo, the gates were opened for them to return to the sea. Dimensions indicate the dock could handle 60 ships of 30 tonnes each. This showed a thorough study of tides, hydraulics and the effect of seawater on bricks. Dockyard

16. Dockyard

17. Warehouse South of the residential area Brick complex 3.5 meters above the ground The warehouse was divided into 64 rooms. Each room is 3.5 square meters. Rooms connected by 1.2 meter wide passages. Twelve of these cubical blocks are visible today. 65 terracotta sealing found These sealings had impressions of reed, woven fiber one side

18. Warehouses 64 cubical blocks 3.6-meter square each Rest on 1-meter high platform Has wooden canopy For protecting cargo from sun and rain It featured paved baths, underground and surface drains and a drinking The warehouses near the dockyard. Set on a 4 m. high plinth. Area : 1930 Square meters The cubical blocks were connected by passages.

19. Warehouses

20. The bead factory The bead factory possesses a central courtyard and eleven rooms. The mud plaster of the floors and walls are vitrified due to constant heat. A double-chambered circular kiln, with stoke-holes for fuel supply. Evidence of reed, cow dung, sawdust and agate are items of kiln It has Workers Quarters Guard Rooms Store

21. Importance of Lothal A trade center Unique Dockyard Warehouse and bead industry External Trade A circular steatite seal of Bahrain find at Lothal. Evidence the Indus trade with Mesopotamia.  Lothal might also have been the intermediary station for receiving gold from Kolar  Lothal provides one of largest collection of antiquities 

22. Kalibangan

23. Kalibangan

24. Kalibangan Kalibangan means “ Black Bangle ” Numerous bangles were found over the mound Situated on the bank of Ghaggar river In Ganganagar district of Rajasthan Excavated by B.B. Lal and B.K. Thapar from 1960-69.

25. The Site

26. The Site Size of Kalibangan is small as compare to other sites There are three mounds Smaller mound is on western side known as KLB 1 Bigger mound known as KLB 2 The third mound where only fire alters reported Both the citadel and lower town present The citadel on the west and the lower city on the east.  S pread of the site : over half a kilometre Cemetery: 300 meters away from the citadel

27. Chronology Two periods Period I : Early Harappan Date: 3500 BCE – 2500 BCE Period II : Mature Harappans Date : 2500 BCE – 1750 BCE

28. Architecture and Town Planning: Early Harappan period Remains of earlier structures found at lower levels Site was fortified Fortifications Repaired twice : Thickness increase First Phase : 1.9 m.; Second Phase : 3.7–4.1 m. Baked bricks used for constructions of houses Burnt bricks used for drains Structure and planning similar to Harappa and Mohenjodaro

29. The citadel The citadel complex was fortified It consists of two equal but separately patterned parts. The fortification was built throughout of mud-bricks. The southern half of the citadel contained some five to six massive platforms. A few platforms may have been used for religious or ritual purposes.  The northern half of the citadel contained residential buildings of the elite.  

30. Citadel Fortification wall made of baked bricks (40 x 20 x 10 cm and 30 x 15 x 7.5 cm) Southern wall portion is heavily fortified with corner bastions Three entrance: east, north and west Plan : Parallelogram ( समानांतर चतुर्भुज ) Height from GL : 9 meters Size : 240 meters north-south and 120 meters east-west Fortification wall: 3 to 9 meter width Rectangular bastions at regular intervals

31. Citadel: Residential Structures Houses were away from the fortification wall of the citadel This distance perhaps for privacy matters? The space in-between was paved with brick pavement Evidence shows three times renovations of pavement Size of the bricks : 30 x 15 x 7.5 cm.

32. Lower Town Situated east of the citadel at a distance of 40 meter Plan : Parallelogram ( समानांतर चतुर्भुज ) Size : 360 meters north south and 24o meters east-west Enclosed with fortification wall with gateway (3-7 m.) and guard room Wall Width : 3.5 to 9 meter Made of mud bricks Size : 40 x 20 x 10 cm and 30 x 15 x 7.5 cm The city was grid planned

33. The lower Town Houses in lower town was in grid pattern. Streets running north-south and east-west, dividing the area into blocks.  The houses were built of mud-bricks, baked bricks. Houses have drains, wells, etc.  

34. Houses Houses followed the common pattern of other Harappan cities. The town planning is like a chess board. All houses opened out to the lanes. Each house had a courtyard and 6–7 rooms. Some houses have private wells One house had stairs for going to the roof. Houses were built of 10 X 20 X 30 cm brick sizes Burnt bricks were used in drains, wells, bathing platforms, door-sills etc. Floors of rooms were built of thrashed fine mud, sometimes laid with mud bricks or terracotta cakes. One house had floors built of burnt tiles decorated with geometrical designs.

35. Houses Chess-board pattern Layout of the city was according to the fortification wall Fortification and streets were planned at the same time Early Harappan houses made of mud bricks Houses opened from lanes Double storied houses also presents Roof probably flat with mud plastered A few floors were paved with decorated tiles with intersecting circles Door size : 70-75 cm. wide Door shape : single -leaf

36. Roads Eight main roads have been exposed Five roads in north-south and Three east-west. B. B. Lal : streets were also in ratio Small lanes connect to the roads Size : 1.8 meters to 7.2 meters Drains were found below the roads Probable evidence of wooden drains

37. Fire altars A few massive platforms found Situated at a distance from each other Vandalism of these platforms by brick robbers makes difficult to reconstruct their original shape Stairs were also associated with these structures Oval fire pits of burnt bricks have been found Seven fire altars were found Pits contains charcoal & terracotta cakes  In one such fire alter and rectangular pit (1.24 x 1 m) contain bovine bones and antlers It perhaps used for religious purpose Fire-altars have been found in three groups Public altars in the citadel, Household altars in the lower town, and Public altars in a third separate group. 

38. Agricultural Field Earliest reference of ploughed field of world It dated 2800 BCE ( pre-Harappan) Situated outside the fortification Excavations revealed a grid pattern of furrows Grid pattern of furrows : 30 cm running east-west and about 190 cm apart running north-south A pattern is still similar to the one practiced even now. In modern times, similar ploughing is used for double crops in this region, (mustard and gram).

39. Significance of Kalibangan Evidence shown that there occurred an earthquake around 2600 BC, which brought to an end the Early Indus settlement at the site. Earliest record of agricultural field Uniformity with other urban settlements Probably act as regional capital Fire alters indicate Sun Worships?

40. Any Questions?