Ghogha
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Ghogha is situated on the mid-western bank of the Gulf and about 15 km south of the present port town of Bhavnagar.  Ghogha was known as the port of Gundigar during Vallabhi kingdom (AD 480-720). The Imperial Gazetteer of India (1908:301) mentions that “the natives of this town are reckoned the best sailor or lascars in India. The ships touching here may procure water and supplies or repair damages”.   A famous proverb about Ghogha is “Lankani Ladi ane Ghoghono var” (Bride of Lanka and groom of Ghogha) which perhaps indicates some kind of direct overseas relations of Ghogha with Sri Lanka. According to the historical account, Arabs had established their colony at Ghogha in the year 636 AD.  The presence of ancient Jaina temples at Ghogha dating back to the 10th –11th centuries suggest that this was a religious center also.  The earliest Arabic inscription from Ghogha dates to 1170 AD.  During the British period ships up to 1500 tons were laden here. Pinkerton (1811) mentions that Ghogha provided a harbour for the largest ships though they would lie dry on mud at low water.  Ghogha served as a port for Cambay, cargo being conveyed on small boats from Cambay to Ghogha to be loaded on ships, the cargo unloaded from ships at Ghogha being similarly transported to Cambay.  Cambay was really open only to very small vessels, e.g. boats called tawri, one of which said to have been 80 tons.

The stone anchors have been noticed close to the present lighthouse in inter tidal zone (Figure 2). Being in the high tidal range, the stone anchors that are lying in 5 to 10 m water depth during high tide get exposed during low tide. These stone anchors are found either partially buried or exposed on the gravel bed. The seabed at the finding spot of the anchor comprised of gravel and fine sand. The majority of the anchors are of Indo-Arabia type and one stone anchor falls in the category of composite type. The Indo-Arabia type anchors of typically made from a vertical stone block with often square section with two lower holes are rectangular/ square and an upper circular hole. Two anchors in the group of Indo-Arab type are having uniform vertical deep and wide groove on all the four faces of the anchor. The broken single composite anchor is made of a thin limestone block with two lower holes are square and two circular holes are placed randomly on upper side. The detail measurements and drawing could be completed just of 14 anchors due to tidal time and muddy seabed and hence rest anchors were only photographed. Many stone anchors are fragmented in nature. Majority of the anchors are parted with lower 2 holes and sometimes holes also broken which might have been broken during manufacturing stage.  The raw material used for these anchors are hard basaltic, sedimentary and a few of conglomeratic material.  A fragmentary anchor is the biggest anchor found from here. Only lower portion is surviving and is very similar to those reported from Mithi Virdi. There is a stone block without any holes noticed similar to the Indo-Arabia type anchor.

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