Underwater archaeologists exploring the ancient port of Ghogha in the Gulf of Khambhat have recovered a cache of lead seals belonging to a 2nd-century BCE Jain merchant guild. The seals are inscribed with early Brahmi script and feature motifs of the 'Nandavarta' and 'Svastika,' alongside detailed ledgers carved on stone tablets recording trade in cotton and sandalwood.
This find provides rare evidence of the Jain community's early dominance in maritime trade along the western coast of India. The discovery of these artifacts in a submerged warehouse structure suggests a sudden rise in sea level or a seismic event that led to the preservation of these historical records under the seabed for over two millennia.