The Indus Valley site known for its dockyard and bead-making was Lothal. Located in present-day Gujarat, Lothal was a major Harappan settlement and trading center that flourished during the 3rd millennium BCE. Its position near the Gulf of Khambhat gave it access to riverine and maritime trade routes.
Archaeologists identified a large rectangular basin at the site as a dockyard connected to an ancient river channel. Its exact function has been debated by some scholars, but the structure, marine deposits, and Lothal’s trading evidence support its traditional interpretation as an important port facility. The site also contained a warehouse and systems associated with managing goods.
Lothal was especially famous for producing beads from carnelian, agate, steatite, and other materials. Excavations revealed furnaces, raw stone, tools, and a specialized bead-making complex. Finished ornaments and seals indicate long-distance commercial links with regions around the Persian Gulf and Mesopotamia.
Unlike Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, which are in modern Pakistan, Lothal is in India. Dholavira is another major Harappan site in Gujarat, but Lothal is the one most strongly associated with the dockyard-and-bead-making pairing.