An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c31.231

v2.c31.231

Rao, 1973, also in *AI*, 13 and 19, 1962 and 1963, p. 191, is of the view that the Harappa culture diffused into Gujarat by the sea route, the presence of the dockyard at LOTHAL supporting his view. Some sites explored by him in Kutch and duly identified as belonging to the Harappa were taken by him as having no great bearing on the main pattern of Harappan movements. The long voyage from the Indus delta to LOTHAL would have left Harappa marts and settlements along the Gujarat coast, but the types of sites on the coast are consistently of the late Harappa context [4.10]. The most important of such coastal sites is PRABHAS PATAN, but the main character of the Prabhas Ware [11.8] makes it para-Harappa rather than being coeval with the mature Harappa. Sites like Desalpur actually show that a land route between the Indus delta and Gujarat was definitely exploited by the Harappans.