<Tr> <Th> Management </Th> <Td> Archaeological Survey of India </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Public access </Th> <Td> Yes </Td> </Tr> <P> Lothal (IPA: (loˑt̪həl)) is one of the southernmost cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization, located in the Bhāl region of the modern state of Gujarāt and first inhabited c. 3700 BCE . Discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the official Indian government agency for the preservation of ancient monuments . According to the ASI, Lothal had the world's earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea . However, this interpretation has been challenged by other archaeologists, who argue that Lothal was a comparatively small town, and that the "dock" was actually an irrigation tank . </P> <P> Lothal was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa . The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead - making and in metallurgy have stood the test of time for over 4000 years . </P>

Which is the port city of indus valley culture