# Project Report: Art Through Time

## Interactive Timeline with Artifacts (CO1 Assessment)

### 1. Problem Statement & Objective
- **Problem Statement:** Create an interactive digital timeline that includes virtual replicas of key artifacts from different periods of Indian art. Each artifact can be clickable, providing detailed information and historical context.
- **Course Outcome:** CO1 — Ability to visually represent art history through engaging, interactive educational tools.
- **Scope:** 4,500+ years of artistic evolution covering the Indus Valley Civilization, Mauryan, Gupta, Chola, Chandela, Vijayanagara, Mughal, Rajput, Pahari, Bengal School, and Contemporary movements.

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### 2. Core Project Features

#### A. Interactive Chronological Timeline (`timeline.html`)
- Clean chronological timeline organizing 22 historical artifacts in chronological sequence from c. 2500 BCE to 2006 CE.
- Era filtering tabs: **All Eras**, **Ancient** (2500 BCE – 8th c.), **Medieval** (9th – 18th c.), **Modern** (1850 – 1950), and **Contemporary** (1947 – Present).
- **Guided Journey Mode:** Interactive automated step-through enabling users to experience history linearly with real-time progress indicators.

#### B. Clickable Virtual Artifact Replicas (`gallery.html` & Modals)
- High-resolution photographic representations and virtual replicas of iconic artworks.
- Each artifact is clickable with keyboard accessibility (`Enter`/`Space`) and mouse interaction.
- Detail modals provide:
  1. **Historical Context:** Dynastic patronage, socio-political background, and artistic schools.
  2. **Significance & Importance:** Why the artifact is a landmark in Indian art history.
  3. **Medium & Craft:** Metallurgy, sandstone carving, granite masonry, tempera, wash, or oil techniques.
  4. **Archaeological Site & Region:** Original discovery site and geographic context.
  5. **Licensing & Museum Source:** Verifiable citations (National Museum, ASI, LACMA, Met Open Access).

#### C. Geographic Provenance Mapping (`map.html`)
- Geospatial mapping powered by **Leaflet.js** and **OpenStreetMap** with exact archaeological coordinates across India.

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### 3. Chronological Period Breakdown

| Era | Selected Milestone Artifacts | Medium & Technique | Key Historical Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Ancient India** (2500 BCE – 8th c.) | *Dancing Girl (Mohenjo-daro)*, *Lion Capital of Ashoka*, *Great Stupa at Sanchi*, *Sarnath Buddha*, *Ajanta Cave Murals*, *Elephanta Trimurti*, *Kailasa Temple (Ellora)* | Bronze lost-wax casting, Chunar sandstone polish, rock-cut basalt, tempera | Indus metallurgy, Mauryan state art, early Buddhist aniconism, Gupta classical ideal, Rashtrakuta monolithic architecture. |
| **Medieval India** (9th – 18th c.) | *Shiva Nataraja*, *Brihadeeswarar Temple*, *Khajuraho Temples*, *Konark Sun Temple*, *Stone Chariot (Hampi)*, *Mughal Miniatures*, *Rajput Painting*, *Kangra Painting* | Chola bronze casting, granite masonry, chlorite sculpture, wasli paper miniature | Chola dynamic bronze aesthetics, Dravidian & Nagara architecture, imperial Mughal synthesis, lyrical Pahari devotion. |
| **Modern India** (1850 – 1950) | *Bharat Mata (A. Tagore)*, *Company Painting*, *Three Girls (Amrita Sher-Gil)* | Watercolour wash, European gouache, oil on canvas | Swadeshi nationalist revival, colonial hybrid documentation, post-impressionist Indian modernist breakthrough. |
| **Contemporary** (1947 – Present) | *Progressive Artists' Group*, *Madhubani Folk Painting*, *Warli Tribal Art*, *Very Hungry God (Subodh Gupta)* | Oil on canvas, natural dyes on paper, rice-paste mud painting, stainless steel | Post-independence avant-garde, living indigenous female agency, tribal cosmology, international installation art. |

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### 4. Technical Implementation
- **Markup & Layout:** Semantic HTML5 and responsive Vanilla CSS.
- **Architecture:** Clean modular JavaScript (`js/artifacts.js`, `js/timeline.js`, `js/journey.js`, `js/modal.js`, `js/map.js`).
- **Performance & Zero Dependencies:** Fast load times with CDN-backed OpenStreetMap integration.