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Thule , ancient name for extreme N Europe

(Encyclopedia) ThuleThuleth&oomacr;ˈlē [key], name given by the ancients to the most northerly land of Europe. It was an island discovered and described (c.310 b.c.) by the Greek navigator…

Ptolemaïs, ancient cities, Asia and Africa

(Encyclopedia) PtolemaïsPtolemaïstŏləmāˈīs [key], ancient name given to several cities to honor members of the dynasty of the Ptolemies. One of these later became known as Akko, in modern Israel.…

Sin, in ancient Middle Eastern religions

(Encyclopedia) SinSinsĭn [key], moon god of Semitic origin, worshiped in ancient Middle Eastern religions. One of the principal deities in the Babylonian and Assyrian pantheons, he was lord of the…

Urgench , ancient city, present-day Turkmenistan

(Encyclopedia) UrgenchUrgench&oobreve;rgyĕnchˈ [key], ancient city of central Asia, on the site of present-day Kunya-Urgench (Köhne Ürgenç), in Turkmenistan. It lies c.85 mi (140 km) NW of modern…

Museums on Display

People have been collecting precious objects since at least the 3rd century B.C. That's when the Museum of Alexandria was open for business. Through the ages, members of royalty, universities and…

Olympics Fun Facts

The early Olympic Games were celebrated as a religious festival from 776 B.C. until 393 A.D., when the games were banned for being a pagan festival (the Olympics celebrated the Greek god Zeus). In…

Winter Olympics Memorable Moments

The legends and foibles of the Winter Olympics   Alpine and Nordic Skiing An Avalanche Named Killy A controversial sweep in alpine skiing Franz Klammer The man who…

Lake, Kirsopp

(Encyclopedia) Lake, KirsoppLake, Kirsoppkûrˈsəp [key], 1872–1946, noted English biblical scholar. He was curate of St. Mary the Virgin (Oxford) until 1904, when he became a professor at the Univ. of…

Maltese

(Encyclopedia) MalteseMaltesemôltēzˈ [key], breed of very small toy dog of obscure origin that was widely popular in Europe by the beginning of the 19th cent. It stands about 5 in. (12.7 cm) high at…