Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) relief, in sculpture, three-dimensional projection from a flat background. In alto-relievo, or high relief, the protrusion is great; basso-relievo, or bas-relief, protrudes only slightly; and mezzo-re...

(Encyclopedia) imperialism, broadly, the extension of rule or influence by one government, nation, or society over another. Imperialism was reborn in the West with the emergence of the modern nation-state and the ...

(Encyclopedia) fishing, act of catching fish for consumption or display. Fishing—usually by hand, club, spear, net, and (at least as early as 23,000 years ago) by hook—was known to prehistoric people. It was pra...

(Encyclopedia) Lisbon lĭzˈbən [key], Port. Lisboa, ancient Olisipo, city (1991 pop. 677,790), W Portugal, capital of Portugal and of Lisboa dist., on the Tagus River where it broadens to enter the Atlantic Ocean....

(Encyclopedia) Arabs, name originally applied to the Semitic peoples of the Arabian Peninsula. It now refers to those persons whose primary language is Arabic. They constitute most of the population of Algeria, Bahr...

(Encyclopedia) democracy [Gr.,=rule of the people], term originating in ancient Greece to designate a government where the people share in directing the activities of the state, as distinct from governments controll...

(Encyclopedia) magic square, a square divided into parts with letters or numbers inscribed therein that, whether combined vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, form the same sum or the same word. In ancient times...

(Encyclopedia) Haverfield, Francis John hăvˈərfēld [key], 1860–1919, English historian and archaeologist. Educated at Oxford, he also worked under Theodor Mommsen. In 1907 he became Camden professor of ancient...

(Encyclopedia) Riblah rĭbˈlə [key]. 1 In the Bible, unidentified boundary landmark, N ancient Palestine. 2 City of ancient Syria, used by the Egyptians and later by the Neo-Babylonians as a headquarters in the we...

(Encyclopedia) Tell el Amarna or Tel el Amarna both: tĕl ĕl ämärˈnä [key], ancient locality, Egypt, near the Nile and c.60 mi (100 km) N of Asyut. Ikhnaton's capital, Akhetaton, was in Tell el Amarna. About 40...