Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Eratosthenes ĕrətŏsˈthənēz [key], c.275–c.195 b.c., Greek scholar, b. Cyrene. A pupil of Callimachus in Athens, he became (c.240 b.c.) head of the library at Alexandria. Known for his versatil...

(Encyclopedia) Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park: see National Parks and Monuments (table)national parks and monuments (table). ...

(Encyclopedia) Nineveh nĭnˈəvə [key], ancient city, capital of the Assyrian Empire, on the Tigris River opposite the site of modern Mosul, Iraq. A shaft dug at Nineveh has yielded a pottery sequence that can be ...

(Encyclopedia) Helwan wänˈ [key], town (1989 est. pop. 230,000), N Egypt, on the Nile River, opposite the ruins of Memphis; a suburb of Cairo. Manufactures include iron and steel, cement, and textiles; there is a ...

(Encyclopedia) Great Mother Goddess, in ancient Middle Eastern religions, mother goddess, the great symbol of the earth's fertility. She was worshiped under many names and attributes. Similar figures have been known...

(Encyclopedia) Lithuanian lĭthˌo͞oāˈnēən [key], a language belonging to the Baltic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Baltic languages). The official language of Lithuania since 1918, Lit...

(Encyclopedia) Ctesiphon tĕsˈĭfŏnˌ, tēˈsĭ– [key], ruined ancient city, 20 mi (32 km) SE of Baghdad, Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris opposite Seleucia and at the mouth of the Diyala River. After 129 b....

(Encyclopedia) Queen Charlotte Islands, archipelago of several large and many small islands, off the coast of W British Columbia, Canada. The main islands are Graham and Moresby. Masset on Graham Island is the main ...

(Encyclopedia) wildcat, common name of Old World cats (Felis silvestris) of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The wildcat resembles a large domestic tabby cat with a heavy tail; its fur is brownish to gray, with a pattern o...

(Encyclopedia) sanctuary, sacred place, especially the most sacred part of a sacred place. In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, a sanctuary served as asylum, a place of refuge for persons fleeing from violence o...