Lothal, 4500 years ago was one of the most important cities of the Indus Valley civilisation. Excavations have revealed the world’s oldest known artificial dock, which was connected to an old course of the Sabarmati River. Other features include the acropolis, the lower town, the bead factory, the warehouses, and the drainage system. The site has been nominated to be enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The traveller can see fascinating finds by archaeologists like canals and dockyards that explain how this was an important trading city. Artefacts suggest that trade may have been conducted with Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia. An entire township with market and dock has been unearthed here. An Archaeological Museum (10am–5pm, Friday closed) near the site houses a number of artefacts like jewellery, pottery, seals, religious symbols, and objects of daily use here.