32 Ancient Cities That Are Older Than the Pyramids

18. Lothal: The Port City of the Indus Valley

Though slightly younger than Mohenjo-Daro, Lothal—flourishing around 2400 BCE—adds a maritime twist to the story of the Indus Valley Civilization. Located in present-day Gujarat, India, Lothal was a vital trade hub with a sophisticated dockyard, well-planned streets, and bead-making workshops. It is one of the earliest known examples of a port city, showing how sea trade and engineering shaped urban development. Lothal’s drainage systems, granaries, and standardized weights reveal the impressive coordination that defined this civilization, suggesting connections as far-flung as Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf.