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Another form of art in India was through metal crafts and sculptors. Blacksmiths made silverware and tools for the wealthy out of iron, which lasted 10 times longer than what the poor had. The wealthy also had iron detailed vases, and other decorations in their homes. Even back then they had gold, copper, and iron stuff. A pillar was made in 400 CE, it's 25 feet tall, it weighs 6.5 tons, and it's still standing today. I got to see it today, it was so big, I couldn't believe it, there was no rust on it, barely any damage, it looks incredible in 450 and in 2008. Blacksmiths worked for higher classes in the caste system like brahmin, for churches and other religious ceremonial things, and for kshatriyas because they could afford more and better metals. That's all you'll be hearing from me for now. I'm coming back to 2008 and going home, I'm so excited to see my family and friends.
The paintings are beautiful. This one (right) was on a cave wall. I got a picture of it, it wasn't my favorite, but I was unable to get any of those. You wouldn't think that they could get so many colors and were able to be so detailed, but you'd be surprised. They got colors from flowers and berries, anything that had a different pigment to it, they used. They painted on many things such as caves, scrolls, anything and everything with a flat surface. A lot of the pictures were painted of people. I was told they were royalty and loved ones of the painter. They're all so life like. The other pictures were nature, the sun, the sky, the flowers, the trees, anything they found pretty, I guess. Most educated people were expected to learn how to paint and be good at it. I don't know how that would work out so well in our time, but that's how it was done back then. I'll write more tomorrow.
Hello. Today was rather laid back. I learned about literature, which I happen to enjoy. It was really fun. Today people see movies all the time, well even back then, in 450, they had plays that many people would go and watch. They also had poetry, fables, and many religious stories. Some were family stories, some were just passed down by generations. They did have a special script for religious purposes called Puranas. It's not only a different language, but they use symbols for sounds and different letters and such. I had no idea what I was reading, but I had a translator and it was a Buddhist story. I guess there were also special texts for legal things to keep records of all that good important stuff. It wasn't as hot, but it was very humid today, and still warm, but it was better than yesterday. Tomorrow, I'll be in Ajanta, and the next in Meharauli, I'm so not looking forward to traveling that far.
Well, today was very eventful. I'm in Nalanda, India, and it's so hot here. It's 113 degrees F today. I had to drink water all day, bottled because I'm not sure what they have in their water here. I went to a University and was toured around. It was really nice. I noticed that it was very close to a Buddhist temple, I asked someone and they pretty much all are near either religious or political centers. They teach all sorts of stuff, such as science, astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and logic, along with different religions, depending where they are. I found out that India developed the concept of 0, someone already had 1-9, but they decided that 0 was nothing. In mathematics, they also worked with fractions of numbers, along with decimals. Well, tomorrow I'm heading for Ujain, hopefully it won't be so hot.
My name's Lindsay, I'm 14 and from 2008. I live in Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States of America. My house is filled with people, my 2 sisters, Caitie and Holly, my brothers, Adam - well not really because he's in the army now- and Michael, my mom, and myself. I'm actually not at home right now, I'm in India and the year is 450. I traveled back in time over the summer to study culture and all that good stuff. I'm in Pataliputra, the capital of the Gupta Empire. There's lots of trading going on here, I guess it's because of the roads and such. The roads here are basically compacted dirt, very different from our cement ones. They lead all the way to China, and all over the Middle East. Well tomorrow I'm off to Nalanda to see the Universities, I'll write more when I get back.
