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Vishnu
Definition by Mark Cartwright

Vishnu

Vishnu is one of the most important gods in the Hindu pantheon. He is considered a member of the holy trinity (trimurti) of Hinduism with Brahma and Shiva. Vishnu is the Preserver and guardian of men, he protects the order of things (dharma...
Hadrian's Wall
Definition by Joshua J. Mark

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall (known in antiquity as the Vallum Hadriani or the Vallum Aelian) is a defensive frontier work in northern Britain which dates from 122 CE. The wall ran from coast to coast at a length of 73 statute miles (120 km). Though the...
Ancient India
Definition by Joshua J. Mark

Ancient India

India is a country in South Asia whose name comes from the Indus River. The name 'Bharata' is used as a designation for the country in their constitution referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata, whose story is told, in part...
Column
Definition by Mark Cartwright

Column

The column was an architectural invention that allowed for the support of ceilings without the use of solid walls. Columns increase the space which can be spanned by a ceiling, allowing the entrance of more light. Columns also offer an alternative...
Caryatid
Definition by Mark Cartwright

Caryatid

Caryatid is the name given to an architectural column which takes the form of a standing female figure. The first examples come from ancient Greek architecture and indeed, the most celebrated examples are found in the south porch of the Erechtheion...
Parthenon
Definition by Mark Cartwright

Parthenon

The magnificent temple on the Acropolis of Athens, known as the Parthenon, was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Age of Pericles, and it was dedicated to the city's patron deity Athena Parthenos. The temple was constructed to house the...
Vespasian
Definition by Donald L. Wasson

Vespasian

Vespasian was Roman emperor from 69 to 79 CE. Vespasian was the last of the four emperors who governed the Roman Empire in the year 69 CE. The previous three had died either by murder or suicide. Unlike Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian...
Barnhouse Settlement
Definition by Joshua J. Mark

Barnhouse Settlement

The Barnhouse Settlement is a Neolithic village located in Antaness, Orkney, Scotland, which was inhabited between c. 3300 and 2600 BCE. The present designation of 'Barnhouse' comes from the name of the farmland on which the village was discovered...
Maeshowe
Definition by Joshua J. Mark

Maeshowe

Maeshowe (pronounced `maze-ow' or `maze-oo') is a large Neolithic chambered cairn, dating from between 3000-2800 BCE, in the Stenness parish of Orkney, Scotland. According to Dr. Berit Sanders, of Lund University, the name means `Meadow Mound'...
Cyclades
Definition by Mark Cartwright

Cyclades

The Cyclades are a group of islands in the southern Aegean situated between the Greek mainland and Turkey. The name was coined in the Archaic period as the islands form an approximate circle (kyklos) around the central and most sacred island...
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