A group of 20 stone anchors from the waters of Dwarka, on the Gujarat Coast, India

A large number of stone anchors were discovered in a water depth of 10–14 m off Dwarka during the 1998–99 season. The seabed near the anchors consists of a ledge with an average height of 1 in. Several anchors were found trapped between the rocks suggesting an anchorage. Twenty stone anchors of three types were loacted in a submerged channel on the southern side of the site. The grapnel type of anchor is associated with Indo-Arab trade between the 8th and 16th centuries AD. The triangular or composite anchors have a date ranging from 2500 BC to the Modern Period. Therefore, the dating of these anchors at Dwarka is a matter of concern and is discussed.