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These massive statues towering over 170 feet tall were created through carving into the stone of the Bamiyan Valley. They are estimated to have been created around 600-700 BCE, though much of the information surrounding the origins of them remains a mystery. I am appalled at the destruction of the site that ensued in 2001, though I understand why the destruction was ordered to take place. Even though there was a dire need for humanitarian aid, and a lot of money was being poured into the preservation of the statues, there were better and more effective ways of gaining attention. I believe that no historical work of art should be destroyed, because there is so much knowledge that can be learned and passed down to future generations. Though, I am glad that the destruction took place more recently rather than long ago; since there had been photographs taken of the original statues, those can be further studied and passed down. The empty niches where the buddhas once stood are probably such an emotional sight to see for local people from Bamiyan. I would feel such a tremendous loss after such an impactful location was destroyed. Furthermore, even though worldly things are not of importance to Buddhists, I would worry about the importance of Buddhism becoming forgotten for future generations.

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Chime Bells (Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng)

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Chime Bells (Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng)

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The Tomb of Marquis Yi was a significant finding in the history of archaeology. The chime bells instrument was the largest item uncovered from the tomb site, and it was not discovered until 1978. It is also extremely well preserved, the wood was able to remain this way because of the water in the tomb site prior to excavation. Its notes range across five octaves, which is very impressive and helped further develop their knowledge of music theory. Sixty-five bells made of tin, lead, and bronze adorn this tri-level musical piece. Each bell was created with a unique pitch, and had two different notes that would sound when struck on the side and in the middle. This instrument was created with many details decorating the surface. 3,755 different inscriptions cover the surface of the bells, and each character is filled in with gold. The other designs that cover the bells consist of serpents, faces, three-dimensional spirals, flowers, dots, and other geometric shapes. The pillars that hold up the levels are bronze warrior statues, which there are six of in total. Furthermore, if this instrument were to be played, it would require five musicians. Overall, this instrument reflects the extreme wealth and class of Marquis Li.

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The East Coast Neolithic Culture, also known as Liangzhu culture was another very impactful group. Their pottery was formed using the coil method and cured in outdoor bonfires. The image on the right is a middle jomon piece; jomon means "cord" and it is referred to as such because of the way the details look. There are six different forms that the pottery was made: fukabachi (deep bowls), asabachi (shallow bowls), hachi (medium bowls), sara (very shallow, platelike bowls), tsubo (vessel with a narrow opening on top), and chuko (vessels with spouts). The image shown is known as a fire flame vessel, and its specific purpose is unknown. They focused more on the detail put into sculpting the clay, which is different from Yangshao culture who painted their details onto plain pottery. Overall, they have a very abstract style of pottery.

The Northwest region of China was inhabited by people of Yangshao culture. They lived in a place called Banpo, and we have learned a lot about them through their pottery. The method used to create their bowls, urns, and amphorae was the coil method, similar to East Coast Neolithic. Additionally, they used both red and grey clay to create their pieces. They are referred to as Painted Pottery Culture because of the decorations that they painted upon them, although only 3% of the pottery was actually painted. Furthermore, the painted pottery was typically found in gravesites. Their discovery at these sites reflects that they had a special purpose. Overall, they had a more neat style of artwork, which differs from the East Coast Neolithic. They had very plain base pottery, and would rarely paint upon them. When they did paint, they were very minimalist and did not cover much space.

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The Great Stupa at Sanchi (India) is one of the oldest Buddhist monuments, as well as the largest stupa created. This Massive one-hundred-twenty foot wide and fifty-four-foot-tall monument is a solid mass composed of burnt bricks. The Great Stupa was ordered to be built by King Ashoka around 3rd century BCE. It is alleged that he chose this area to build the Great Stupa because it is the town where his wife was born. Additionally, he resurrected around 84,000 stupas during his reign, as it was his goal to make these places accessible and to assist Buddhist people with their spiritual journeys. Many believe that the stupas actually contain some of the original buddha's (Siddharta's) ashes. The umbrella resting atop the Great Stupa honors the buddha, dharma, and sangha which are represented as the "Three Jewels of Buddhism." The buddha represents people's physical form, dharma reflects the wisdom the buddha passed on to his followers, and sangha refers to the community of Buddhist monks who live the middle path. The section around the base with the fence-like structure is called the Pradakshina Patha, or the circumambulatory path. As a person walks around the stupa clockwise, this space is used to practice mindfulness and meditation. The practice of circumambulation also reminds practitioners of the circle of life, death, and rebirth. The gateway arches that surround the stupas, called Toranas, are decorated with many descriptive sculptures; they stand to the North, East, West, and South of the sites. The sculptures on them are composed of Siddharta's life story and the important events that lead to him reaching Nirvana and Parinirvana.

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I awaken as I notice the feeling of difference; it's as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and all the bodily pain has finally left me. I toiled my whole life dreaming of the day I would be in the afterlife, a place where I would be released from broken bones, back pain, and the writhing pain in my midsection. I sit up and assess my surroundings. I gaze down upon the body that held me and look through the many layers of silk bundling it. I admire the banner that lay atop the innermost casket, reading the story from the bottom up. It depicted my favorite story, the story of Archer Li. I then look at the outsides of the caskets that contain the body, and am pleased to see the hard work that was put into it. The artwork is beautiful, and the use of resin was definitely a timely endeavor. After about an hour spent looking at the artwork, I then cast my gaze towards the surroundings of the coffins. I smile with excitement when I see all of my favorite meals and snacks. I excitedly partake in them, and perch on the furniture. While I continue my meal, I also sort through all of the items left for me to use. I feel so happy to have reached this point in my existence, and cannot wait to continue my rest here.

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This depiction of Siddharta was created by the Kushan people after they took over the area. Since they had no deep understanding of Buddhism, they failed to grasp why he had not been previously depicted in human form. They began creating many personified statues, known as buddha images, that have significant religious value. They created many works of art to encompass Siddharta's story and the many impactful events in his life. This particular image reflects his bodily deprivation of food and water from his time spent as a monk. It gives an imagery of how he dedicated his life after leaving the palace to cut himself off from worldly pleasure. His physical state was extremely deprived from nutrients, and this statue conveys that very well. It is intentionally made to give the viewer a visceral reaction in order to help them understand how much he gave up to become a monk and reflect his extreme dedication. Additionally, this statue is meant to help Buddhist people realize that they are not meant to suffer like he did. Siddharta stayed in this state until a young girl offered him a bowl of rice, which lead to him realizing that this extreme state of fasting and denying oneself is not necessary, and he should take the middle path. Therefore, this imagery conveys to the viewer that they should follow in his steps and also take the middle path in their Buddhist journey.

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This is a small seal which is carved of steatite. It was very common for people to use these small 1 inch carvings to seal their work with their specialized image. It is similar to major companies having a brand image to be known by, such as General Mills. Therefore, it is helpful for the person to gain more publicity within their community; for example, if someone had visitors over and the visitors were very impressed with the taste of the food, they would ask what "brand" it is and then purchase from them in the future. The figure in the middle is adorned with a bull horn headpiece and is believed to have later been inspiration for Shiva, a god with three heads. The pose that the image rests in appears to be a yogi pose.

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Tomb of the First Emperor and Tomb of Emperor Nintoku