The ancient site of Gottiprolu, which provides evidence of early maritime trade and a fortified settlement, is located in:

Gottiprolu is an ancient archaeological site in the Tirupati district (earlier Nellore district) of Andhra Pradesh, near the Swarnamukhi river and the east coast.

About Gottiprolu:

• It was excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2018-2019.
• It revealed a large fortified settlement, dating to about the 1st-2nd century CE (and possibly earlier).
• The settlement was surrounded by a brick wall (rampart) and a moat.
• It was located close to the coast, and was probably connected with maritime (sea) trade.

Important finds:

• A large sculpture of Vishnu, about 2 metres high, from the early centuries CE, showing Vishnu with four arms, holding a chakra and a conch.
• Remains of large brick structures and a brick-paved road.
• Amphora pieces (storage jars from the Mediterranean region), which show trade with the Roman world.
• Pottery, beads, coins, and other objects.

Importance:

• It shows that the east coast of Andhra Pradesh had important trading towns in the early historic period, connected with Rome and South-East Asia.
• It adds to our knowledge of early urbanisation in south India.

Other ancient trading sites on the east coast:

• Kaveripattinam (Puhar): the Chola port.
• Tamralipti (West Bengal).
• Ghantasala and Dharanikota (Andhra Pradesh).

Early historic Andhra:

• The Satavahanas and later the Ikshvakus ruled the region.
• The Krishna valley had many Buddhist sites, such as Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Odisha has sites such as Sisupalgarh.
• ✗Tamil Nadu has sites such as Kaveripattinam and Korkai.
• ✗Gujarat has sites such as Lothal and Dholavira.