History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c24.s6.4

v1.c24.s6.4

At Lothal a trapezoid reservoir measuring on an average 214 × 36 meters has been excavated. It is surrounded by an embankment wall of kiln-fired bricks, the shorter arm on the north having a gap for the inlet of water with another gap in the south providing for spillway. Following S.R. Rao (pp. 70-73) the excavator, it is taken to be a dock, but Leshnik (vide Possehl 1979; AA 1970. pp. 911-22) and Junghans (Possehl 1979. p.210) argue for its having been an irrigational tank. It had a capacity of about 500 cubit meters with provision for refilling. In any case, this shows that the Harappans had a developed tank technology. The Great Bath at Mohenjodaro is an illustration of it, but we do not have any indication to confirm its use for irrigation. This holds good for wells that have been exposed at a number of habitational sites of the Harappan culture and are the earliest excavated stained wells having burnt brick lining.